Habitat Summit 2022 Speaker Bios & Abstracts

Habitat Focused Approaches to Quality Deer Management– Kip Adams of National Deer Association (Lowrance Room)

About Kip Adams: Kip Adams, a certified wildlife biologist, from Knoxville, Pennsylvania is no stranger to conservation. As a self proclaimed “deer nut”, Adams has found his place as the Chief Conservation Officer for the National Deer Association. He has a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Penn State University and a master’s in Wildlife from the University of New Hampshire. In addition to his schooling, Kip Adams is also a certified taxidermist. Adams has authored chapters in five books, has given over 500 presentations on deer and habitat management, and has provided whitetail content for numerous television shows.

Abstract: Proper habitat management is important for successful deer management programs.  With respect to whitetails, managers focus on three main components: forests, early successional vegetation, and food plots.  In forested environments habitat quality is governed by the tree species and their ages.  A range of age classes is important as mature forests only produce 50 to 100 pounds of browse per acre while young forests can produce over 1,000 pounds of browse per acre.  Early successional vegetation provides abundant food and cover.  This vegetation is created mostly in “old fields” by removing perennial cool-season and/or warm-season grasses and allowing ample sunlight to reach the soil.  Numerous broadleaf species from the soil bank thrive in these conditions, and old fields can produce 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of forage per acre, while simultaneously providing tremendous cover for fawns and adults.  Deer managers should strive to provide the vast majority of a deer herd’s nutritional needs via forest and old field management.  Food plots are the final component, and they should be used to supplement the available forage to the deer herd and provide harvest and/or viewing opportunities.  Food plots can produce 2,000 to 8,000 pounds of forage per acre, and the planted species can be chosen to provide forage in all seasons.  A proper mix of young and mature forests, early successional vegetation, and food plots can produce abundant year-round food and cover for deer.  Matching that with an appropriate antlerless harvest to keep deer herds in balance with the habitat provides for a healthy deer herd with exceptional hunting opportunities.

Methods to Meet Your Property Management Goals & A Breakdown of TRLT’s Sportsman Access Program– Katie Stovall of Three Rivers Land Trust (Peddler Room)

About Katie Stovall: Katie began working with TRLT in November of 2021. She received her master’s degree in Wildlife Science from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s in Natural Resource Conservation and Management with a concentration in forestry from Western Carolina University. Katie comes to us with prior experience of working for the N.C. Forest Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority where she provided land management information and technical support to forest landowners and wildlife managers. Katie’s interest and expertise is in prescribed fire, applied habitat management, sound forest management, and blending wildlife and forestry objectives. In her free time, Katie enjoys sharing the conservation ethic with others, especially kids, and promoting the wonderful natural resources that our state has to offer.

Abstract: Do you need H.E.L.P.? Three Rivers Land Trust is excited to launch the Habitat Enhancement Lands Program (H.E.L.P). H.E.L.P. is a for-fee service that is designed to assist landowners meet their conservation goals by providing technical advice and guidance that is specific to individual landowners and their property. This session will offer advice in regards to how H.E.L.P. can benefit you.

Despite living in the world of technology where information is at our fingertips, it can be tough for landowners to get sound management advice. A quick internet search can yield a plethora of results, however, the quality of the information provided can be hit-or-miss. Moreover, even if the information a landowner gathers themselves is solid advice, it is simply impossible to use a cookbook recipe for every property. Every property is different. Every property has differing prior land uses, with different plant communities, different topographic features, different resource concerns, and most importantly different landowner goals and priorities! These reasons provide a great example of why it can be critically important to seek the skills and services of someone who has knowledge in each of these areas and can blend them all to best suit your property while best meeting your goals.

We understand that getting sound management advice, cost-share assistance, or implementation of desired practices can be a tough process to navigate on your own. We are here to help streamline those processes and provide dedicated and customizable services to truly meet your objectives. Our H.E.L.P program offers customizable land management services through a one-on-one consultation with our Conservation Lands Manager.

Where Conservation Starts: Soil Health– Dr. Grant Woods of Growing Deer TV (Merchant Room)

About Dr. Grant Woods: Dr. Grant Woods was raised in the Ozark Mountains where he learned to hunt and have a passion for deer. He followed that passion and received a master’s and Ph.D. based on his research of bucks using scrapes and rubs. Grant has worked with deer and deer habitat during the past 29 years throughout their range and specializes in habitat improvement and hunting techniques. For the past 10 years Grant has produced GrowingDeer, a weekly, year-round show to assist hunting strategies and habitat management. 

Abstract: For 20+ years Grant has been using a no-till drill to plant food plots in the rocky and shallow soil of the Ozark Mountains. After a period of trial and error, Grant improved the techniques and achieved significant improvements in the soil health. As the soil improved, so did the forage production and quality as well as the wildlife populations. The Proving Grounds, as Grant calls his property, changed from a very over-grazed cattle ranch to a nationally known standard of quality wildlife habitat and wildlife populations.

Drawing from his experiences as an avid hunter and his formal education and research. Dr. Woods has developed a specialty in habitat improvement and hunting techniques. For the past 10 years, he has produced GrowingDeer, a weekly, year-round show to assist hunters with hunting strategies and habitat management. During presentation, he will share how he is using soil health practices to improve his rocky, shallow soils to improve forage production and wildlife habitat.

Integrated Wild Pig Control® – Achieving Whole Sounder Success– Rod Pinkston of Jager Pro (Cedars Room)

About Rod Pinkston: JAGER PRO® Founder & CEO, Rod Pinkston, earned his living as a Soldier for 24 years. He retired fromthe United States Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) Olympic Shooting Team at Fort Benning, Georgiaafter his athletes won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Employing retired soldiers, JAGER PRO® is the first private company to develop military-grade technology and methods to
harvest 300,000+ feral swine annually in the United States.
Rod is the inventor of the M.I.N.E.® Trapping System with five approved patents, creator of thermal hog control methods in the United States, host of the JAGER PRO® television show on RFD-TV and host of the Hog Control Academy™ weekly Patreon show. His remote-control trapping and thermal shooting footage were the first to appear on national television, YouTube and Patreon. He is an expert of the latest whole sounder control methods and technology in the industry and author of the Hog Control Operator™ training manual. 

Abstract: The JAGER PRO definition of Integrated Wild Pig Control (IWPC) is a strategic approach using a series of innovative lethal control methods and technologies implemented in a specific sequence based on seasonal food sources. Emphasis is placed on efficient removal of the entire sounder at one time to eliminate escapes, method education and future reproduction. The control strategies continually change throughout the various seasons to effectively target adaptive survivors.

Leaving a Legacy- Introduction to Conservation Easements– Crystal Cockman of TRLT and Andy Abramson Attorney (Peddler Room)

Abstract: This presentation will discuss various land protection tools available to landowners seeking to conserve their property, including donated and purchased conservation easements and fee acquisitions. We will discuss possible tax benefits that could be associated with donations, along with funding sources that might be available to purchase all or a portion of a conservation easement on a natural area or family farm. Crystal Cockman has 16+ years of experience working with TRLT, and Andy also worked with the land trust before joining the Woodson Sayers law firm. Both will be available to answer the audience’s question about conservation options and related benefits.

Feral Swine: the Biology, the Challenge, and the Solutions – Aaron Sumrall of Pig Brig Trap Systems (Merchant Room)

About Aaron Sumrall, PhD: Aaron joined the Field Engine Wildlife Research/Pig Brig team in fall of 2021 as the Director of Research, Outreach, and Mitigation. Prior to coming onboard with Field Engine Wildlife Research/Pig Brig, Aaron worked for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for 20+ years assisting farmers, ranchers, wildlife, and land managers on a myriad of topics including wildlife pest management and mitigation, result demonstration and applied research project, management publications, and outreach education across the expanse of Texas. Aaron holds BS and MS degrees in Animal Science and a PhD in Wildlife Ecology form Sam Houston State ad Texas A&M, respectively. The lion’s share of research, management and mitigation has focused on feral pig areas of management/mitigation, diseases, biology and behavior, economics, damage, and human/feral pig dynamics. Aaron enjoys working with landowners and managers on individual settings to speaking at conferences to inform landowners and managers of new research and help determine a path to removing feral pigs from their areas of interest.

Abstract: Management of feral pigs (Sus scrofa) is a moving target on many fronts with variables altering management options with very little lead time. Land and wildlife managers tasked with managing feral pigs must orchestrate management plans that factor in climatic variables, sounder dynamics, human dimensions, and non-target species all while operating within budget and time constraints. Researchers are becoming more mindful of the responsiveness of feral pigs to climatic conditions that cause the species to drastically alter the frequency of activity and topographical usage of landscapes acutely. A recent comment by University of Georgia professor indicated the compulsive nature of feral pigs and the response managers must be willing to adapt to by stating “management of them often has to be really adaptive, as well, changing on a week-to-week or even day-to-day basis. It all ties back to the efficiency of management and how you allocate your resources.” New management/control measures focused on feral pigs must be based on total sounder removal or multiple sounder removal in a very short period of time without educating feral pigs during the process. Adaptive management must be able to follow the species where they go with short lead time to develop an altered plan. Trapping has and continues to be the foundation of integrated control measures and now must be versatile with a minimal labor and financial input. Net traps can provide a solution to many of the paramount variables of minimal labor and expense, highly transportable, passive effort, no connection signal, total sounder and multiple sounder catch in a single trapping effort, and minimal education to uncaptured individuals that leads to successful mitigation in target areas.

Talkin’ Turkey: Improving Habitat Quality for Wild Turkey on Your Property– Cully McCurdy & Laura Prevatte of National Wild Turkey Federation (Cedars Room)

About Cully McCurdy: Cully McCurdy is the District Wildlife Biologist for the National Wild Turkey Federation.  His area of coverage for the organization includes VA, NC and WV.  He has been on staff with the NWTF since 2010.  Prior to his employment with the NWTF, he worked for the WV Division of Natural Resources for 18 years.  He is a graduate of Potomac State College of WVU (Forestry) and West Virginia University (Wildlife Management).  He resides in Pocahontas County WV.

About Laura Prevatte: Laura Prevatte studied forestry at Clemson University and worked in Guatemala as a forester then returned to the US.  She started work for the NC Forest Service working as a forester for about 30 years starting in the Mt. Holly district working in Iredell County .  She started working for the NWTF 4 years ago.  Laura works with private landowners with reforesting, wildlife management, timber management and developing stewardship plans for their properties

Abstract: Today’s discussion will focus on habitat requirements of Wild Turkey in hardwood forests in comparison to pine forests.  We will also discuss management options to improve wild turkey habitat on your property.

Friendly Fire– Jesse Wimberley of Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association, Mark Bost of NC Forest Service (Peddler Room)

About Jesse Wimberly: Jesse Wimberley is a fourth-generation landowner and burner from Moore County,NC. For the past 35 years he has been engaged in restoring his family’s 1870 home and longleaf forestlands. Part of his restoration efforts include bringing together neighbors and the local community in returning fire to the landscape. As a result, Jesse has engaged hundreds of people in the use of prescribed fire.

His latest project focuses on seven North Carolina Sandhills counties in which he helps private landowners accomplish their management goals. At the core of this project is the development of the NC Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association (SPBA), which helpslandowners overcome barriers and gain self-sufficiency in the management of their longleaf forestlands, particularly in the use of prescribed fire.

Abstract: Even though prescribed fire (Rx fire) is an effective land management tool, many landowners do not use Rx fire because of concerns such as potential liability, lack of training, and experience. This presentation will look at the history of Rx fire in the south, it’s many uses, and how private landowners can access this tool. We will also look at funding opportunities to help defray the costs of using Rx fire. The NC Sandhills Prescribed Burn Association (SPBA) is a precedent-setting organization that connects landowners with the tools, training, and experience they need to increase their comfort, capacity, and confidence to conduct prescribed burns.

About Mark Bost: Mark Bost is a District Forester with the NC Forest Service working out of the District office for the western piedmont in Lexington.  Mark started his career in the Fayetteville District and has over 26 years of experience with fire control and prescribed burning across a variety of geographical locations in North Carolina.

Abstract: This presentation will cover prescribed burning planning and execution with respect to weather and firing techniques. The goal is to help the attendee understand how to evaluate weather conditions for prescribed burning using National Weather Service forecasts and current fire danger readings. The presentation will also review different firing techniques and their advantages and disadvantages with respect to different fuel conditions, weather conditions, sites, and landowner objectives.

Early Successional Plant Communities – Managing Perspective and High-Quality Habitat for Game and Non-Game Species to Thrive– Wade GeFellers of Heritage & Habitat (Merchant Room)

About Wade FeFellers: Wade GeFellers is a native east Tennessean and loves everything outdoors. He is especially passionate about land management, hunting, and sharing knowledge and outdoor experiences with others. He earned both his B.S. and M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Management at the University of Tennessee where his research focused on the establishment and management of high-quality early successional plant communities and how those plant communities related to habitat of various wildlife species. He has worked in the wildlife profession for 9 years, is the owner of Heritage & Habitat LLC (est. 2019), and is an Associate Wildlife Biologists ®. Wade offers land management consulting to private, state, and federal landowners and assists with implementation of a myriad of land management practices including written management plants, invasive plant control, forest stand improvement, prescribed fire, and much more.

Abstract: Early successional plant communities (also old-fields) are dominated by a diverse mix of forbs, grasses, and shrubs and are a vital habitat component of numerous game and non-game wildlife species. Many of the terrestrial wildlife species that are deemed as “threatened,” “in-need-of-management,” or other term indicating declining populations, are species that use or require old-field communities. Additionally, many generalist wildlife species that seem to thrive in the absence of early succession will readily use, and benefit from, high-quality old-field plant communities. Changing land uses and fragmentation certainly contribute to the loss of these plant communities across the landscape. However, old-fields can easily be established and managed at literally any scale and in almost any location. Why, then, are these plant communities still so scarcely found on the landscape? Cultural pressures and ingrained perspective from our agrarian history are likely 2 key players. Fortunately, the temporal and disturbance-dependent nature of old-field plant communities lends well to their relatively quick establishment. Thus, an open mind, an intentional shift in perspective, and a little work can lead to the establishment of high-quality old-field plant communities within only 1–2 years at nearly any location. Many at-risk wildlife species such as pollinators and grassland and shrubland songbirds, as well as common game species such as white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, and wild turkeys, can all benefit when high-quality old-field plant communities are available.

When Napalm Isn’t an Option-Developing a Plan for Invasive Species on Your Property– Eli Beverly of Eli Beverly and Associates (Cedars Room)

About Eli Bevely: Eli Beverly retired from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in 2015 after 31 years as a wildlife technician and team leader on Game Lands in the Southern Piedmont, based in Troy. He owns Eli Beverly and Associates, LLC, specializing in NNIS management, prescribed burning, and specialty timber stand improvement. Eli has also served as a part-time stewardship associate with Three Rivers Land Trust. He was raised in Anson County and received a B.S. in biology from UNC-Charlotte. He and his wife reside in Stanly County.

Abstract: Non-native invasive species (NNIS) are found in almost all plant communities and vegetation types in North Carolina. From a landscape perspective, it is important to manage these plants and animals both from a nuisance standpoint and from a habitat health approach, due to their lack of native controls and their ability to rapidly expand their populations. In most instances, NNIS management programs must be thought of as long-term efforts rather than single projects leading to immediate eradication. This presentation will introduce resources and information sources to help identify problematic species; management options such as chemical, cultural and mechanical methods; treatment timing for optimal results; establishing realistic goals; and an overview of chemical labeling. Time permitting, there will be a short exercise to help demonstrate how these considerations can be developed into a treatment plan with attainable goals.

Waterfowl Management on Private Impoundments– Ethan Massey of Ducks Unlimited (Peddler Room)

About Ethan Massey: Ethan serves as a regional biologist for Ducks Unlimited’s South Atlantic Field Office. In this position Ethan is responsible for coordinating and delivering conservation projects throughout Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. This includes identifying potential wetland restoration/enhancement opportunities, seeking funding through various grant sources, creating a restoration plan with DU’s engineering team, and working with partners like USFWS, state agencies, NGO’s, and private landowners to deliver these projects. Prior to this role, Ethan served as a landowner outreach specialist in Arkansas where he helped private landowners managed their properties for waterfowl and other wildlife. Ethan has a Bachelors in Wetland Science from LSU and a Masters in Wildlife Ecology from University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Abstract: This presentation will be about wetland management on private lands in North Carolina. Highlited in this presentatino will be information about NC wetlands and their importance to waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. We will discuss management strategies including moist-soil management, hunting pressure management, and waterfowl “food plots,” as well as what is required for DU to be involved in private lands restoration in NC and what other programs are available to assist landowners.

Bringing Back the Whistle: Quail Management on Private Lands– Jake Comer, Quail Forever (Merchant Room)

About Jake Comer: Jake Comer is a Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist in Elizabethtown, NC with Quail Forever. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science from Averett University and a Master of Science from South Dakota State University in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. Through college, he worked on several research projects focusing on using different management techniques to improve upland habitat. Following college, he has worked as a wildlife biologist providing technical assistance to private landowners in the Southeastern portion of North Carolina.

Abstract: Private lands in North Carolina make up approximately 90% of the total state. Areas that are publicly held, by state and federal agencies, can be quite large with vast expanses of private land between these government owned parcels. This poses many difficult challenges in overall wildlife management efforts in the state and places a large responsibility on private landowners to help contribute to overall wildlife/habitat management. In this presentation, different habitat requirements for upland species will be discussed along with various management practices landowners can implement to create and enhance habitat on their property. In addition, the barriers that landowners face when implementing management practices, such as technical guidance and financial assistance, will be discussed. These barriers are often the reason management practices are not implemented on private lands in the state, with landowners unaware of the resources that are available to them. At the end of this presentation landowners will have a better understanding of how to manage their property for upland species and what resources they can use to meet the objective for their property.

Conservation Costs: Bridging the Financial Gap to Enhance Wildlife Habitat– John Isenhour and Jason Smith of NC Wildlife Resources Commission (Cedars Room)

About John Isenhour: John Isenhour has provided guidance to private landowners for nearly 25 years, working with both the North Carolina Forest Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.  In his roles as Piedmont Technical Assistance Biologist, District 6 Wildlife Conservation Biologist, and now Wildlife Habitat Coordinator John has focused on promoting the management of private lands to benefit our wildlife resources.  In his previous positions, he developed written recommendations for landowners as well as assisting with enrollment in programs which fund habitat management, locating contractors to implement management prescriptions and creatively incorporating wildlife objectives into working lands management.  In his current role John serves and a liaison with USDA to ensure wildlife concerns are addressed in USDA Farm Bill programs.  He is also responsible for the administration of the Wildlife Conservation Land Program, that offers landowners a property tax deferment on their parcels which are managed to benefit declining species, critical habitats or wildlife reserve land.  In his spare time, he practices what he preaches, implementing various land management techniques on his own property and sharing the outdoors with family and friends.

About Jason Smith: Jason Smith has been employed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) for 16 years.  His current position with the NCWRC is District 7 Wildlife Biologist. In this position, he works to plan, organize, direct, and participate in the management of wildlife resources within eleven counties, located in Northwestern North Carolina. Jason also coordinates multiple programs with the general public, private sector professionals, and governmental agencies.  One specific program he has focused on is NCWRC’s Native Warm Season Grass (NWSG) Program.  This program improves wildlife habitat on working lands by assisting livestock producers in converting a portion of their forage to NWSG.  Not only do these native grasses benefit wildlife, but they also improve production by providing a reliable perennial forage that will produce during hot and dry summers.  To date Jason has helped over 90 livestock producers successfully incorporate nearly 2500 acres of NWSG pastures and hayfields into their forage production systems.

Abstract: 

Death and taxes. Property taxes are shown to be one of the greatest concerns for most private landowners.  We will review programs which defer property taxes, reducing the costs of land ownership (PUV and WCLP).

Taking it to the next level. A clear and well thought out management plan is critical to successful management of private lands.  Well defined objectives are paramount in developing a management plan.  We will briefly discuss objectives and cover funding options for management plan development.

When habitat is your priority, but money is tight. Most landowners need to continue income generation as part of their habitat management program.  In these situations, optimizing habitat objectives with production goals is critical for sustainability.  One way to enhance both income generation and habitat quality on open lands is forage production using native warm season grasses.

Funding options for habitat enhancement. There are many financial assistance, “cost share”, programs which support the management and conservation of private lands.  Each program has pluses and minuses to consider before signing on the dotted line.  We will look at program options broadly and discuss the process to find the right fit for a landowner.

Wildlife Management After Dark (Barn Owls/Bats)– Allison Medford & Olivia Munzer of NC Wildlife Resources Commission (Peddler Room)

About Allison Medford: Allison Medford is a Wildlife Diversity Biologist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Her position is based in the Piedmont but has statewide responsibilities for nongame birds and mammals. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Zoology from North Carolina State University in 2013, and her master’s degree in Applied Ecology at NCSU in 2014. Her current work includes monitoring songbird, Barn Owl, Bald Eagle, and small mammal populations in the Uwharries and throughout the Piedmont. She is married to her husband, Rupert, and they have three children. She enjoys serving at her local church, working in her family’s bee yard and honey operation, lifting weights, and gardening.

Abstract: Barn owls (Tyto alba) are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in the 2015 NC WAP and state-listed Special Concern. Populations in the Piedmont are declining, as evidenced by marked drop offs in reported sightings and known nesting locations (LeGrand et al. 2018). However, these birds are secretive and nocturnal, which make them difficult to detect using conventional survey methods like point counts or road transects so we have considerable knowledge gaps and parts of their life history specific to North Carolina are unknown. For example, we do not know how far or into what specific habitats young Barn Owls disperse. We do not know nesting habits or detailed habitat preferences. We do not even know basic population estimates, relative abundance, or distributions. We do know that Barn Owls are associated with large, open, often agricultural habitat. The nests that we monitor are all near large fields in predominately open habitat.

Our current Barn Owl Project installs nest boxes on properties with existing Barn Owl populations, since it seems that Barn Owls do not colonize lands just because a nest box is installed, in hopes that the owls will relocate their nests in our boxes so we can easily monitor nesting cycles and nest success. Along with continued nest box installations and monitoring, the next step of this project will be banding both the adults and nestlings at all our nest boxes and monitored nest sites so that we can tell individuals apart. This will help with determination of a pair’s specific nesting timing (annually or semi-annually), as well as habitat use, and potential dispersal. We also hope to do a small-scale radio telemetry tracking project during which we will track owl movements using GPS tags to discern where these owls spend their time, the size of their home ranges, dispersal, and range overlaps (if any).

Barn Owls seem to use box blinds relatively frequently. We ask the public to check these and any abandoned or less frequently used buildings on their properties since these are the most likely nesting spots for Barn Owls. Landowners interested in making their property hospitable for Barn Owls can maintain portions in open grassland where the prey of Barn Owls (rodents and other small mammals) is likely to thrive. There is little evidence that Barn Owls can be outright attracted to a new area, but young Barn Owls must disperse and are more likely to remain where they can find plenty to eat.

With changing land use and increased urbanization of former small-scale agricultural tracts, Barn Owls seem to have more of a challenge finding adequate prey populations and nesting habitat. With the help of informed and motivated landowners, we can better understand Barn Owls populations in North Carolina to ensure they are being adequately protected.

About Olivia Munzer: Olivia Munzer has served as the Western Piedmont Habitat Conservation Coordinator for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for the last 4 years.  She also conducts bat surveys across the Piedmont region as part of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s bat monitoring efforts for Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Olivia completed a M.S. in Biology from Eastern Michigan University where she conducted her thesis research on the roosting and dietary ecology of evening bats. Prior to joining NCWRC, she worked as a natural resource biologist throughout the U.S for 17 years.

Abstract: Bats provide important ecosystem services by consuming night-flying insects, many of which are crop or forest pests or vectors of human disease. Since 2006, millions of bats have died from the fungal disease, White-nose Syndrome, so supporting bat conservation is more critical than ever. Landowners can play key roles in helping bat populations recover while reaping the benefits of free insect control by making their lands more bat friendly. Providing roosting and foraging habitat for bats and reporting potential winter bat roosts like caves, mines, or root shelters to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission are vital ways to support bat populations. Guidance will be provided on forest management, bat house design and installation, bat friendly gardening, and types of winter bat roosts that serve as valuable hibernacula to bats.