Representing the wind industry’s efforts to help protect wildlife, the Duke Energy Foundation, a philanthropic organization of Duke Energy, is awarding $50,000 to support efforts by Bat Conservation International (BCI) to help with the recovery of the continent’s threatened and endangered bat species.
According to the foundation, the grant will supply critical funding to address major threats to bats, including the deadly fungal disease White-nose Syndrome.
“Our goal is to help all of our bat species listed under the Endangered Species Act get off that list and prevent others from ever needing to be listed,” says Katie Gillies, director of imperiled species for BCI. “One of the greatest threats to our North American bats right now is White-nose Syndrome. Support from the Duke Energy Foundation enables us to further invest in solution-orientated research to help our bats survive this deadly disease.”
“I can’t think of another wildlife species that provides more value to people than bats,” adds Tim Hayes, biologist and environmental director with Duke Energy Renewables. “We fully support research to improve our understanding of White-nose Syndrome and to find solutions to reverse this alarming trend.”
