At ϳԹվ – Cascades’ upcoming Science Pub, bat ecologist Tom Rodhouse will explore the little known, yet extensive world of bats, including the role they play in natural ecosystems, why some populations are threatened and how citizen scientists can help them.
The Science Pub, “Out of the Night, Into the Light: The Secret World of Bats,” will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 21 in Father Luke’s Room at McMenamins Old St. Francis in ϳԹվ.
Rodhouse is a National Park Service ecologist, a courtesy faculty member at OSU-Cascades with OSU’s Animal and Rangeland Sciences department, and co-director of the Human and Ecosystem Resiliency and Sustainability Lab at the OSU ϳԹվ campus.
As a lead architect of the North American Bat Monitoring Program, Rodhouse has devoted more than two decades to bat conservation. He leads the Northwestern Bat Hub, a research and monitoring initiative within the HERS Lab. The Bat Hub has been recognized as a model for successful regional implementation of the North American Bat Monitoring Program, with collaborating state, federal and tribal partners in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Rodhouse will discuss services bats provide to ecosystems, from pollination to pest control. He will also explain why bats have historically been difficult to study and how the Bat Hub team is monitoring bat populations, including in Central Oregon. He will also address white-nose syndrome, a fungal condition that has devastated some bat populations, and the impact of wind power turbines on bats in flight.
Science Pubs take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Networking, and food and beverage service begin at 5:30 p.m., and the presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. Science Pubs are free to community members, but reservations are required. Space is limited to 100 guests.
Registration must occur by 5 p.m. the day prior to each Science Pub at osucascades.edu/sciencepubs.
About OSU-Cascades: ϳԹվ’s campus in ϳԹվ, Ore. features outstanding faculty in degree programs that reflect Central Oregon’s vibrant economy and abundant natural resources. Nearly 20 undergraduate majors, 30 minors and options, and three graduate programs include computer science, energy systems engineering, kinesiology, hospitality management, and tourism, recreation and adventure leadership. OSU-Cascades expanded to a four-year university in 2015; its new campus opened in 2016.