The statewide bat monitoring effort is now led by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Information below and elsewhere on this site may be outdated and remains for archival purposes.

In the spring of 2015, we began implementing a bat acoustic monitoring protocol throughout the state of South Carolina following the guidelines of the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat). This effort was initiated by Ben Neece, a graduate student at Clemson University, under the guidance of U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station ecologist Susan Loeb, Clemson University professor of wildlife ecology David Jachowski, and SCDNR biologist Mary Bunch.

Field sampling is supported by volunteers recruited from the public as well as the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers and others. Due to the large scale of this research, a high level of coordination between those involved is required to maintain consistent methods and timing of sampling efforts.

This web site serves as a resource for information on the project including a detailed breakdown of the sampling protocol, an updated map of the sampling grid, details within each grid cell, and other useful information as needed.