In addition to horses and bourbon, Kentucky is known for its caves, and indeed, is home to Mammoth Cave National Park, with the world’s longest known cave system. Hand in hand with the incredible number of caves is the fact that Kentucky is an incredibly important state for our nation’s bat populations.

The spread of white-nose syndrome, the deadly bat disease, brings with it many questions, one of the most important, what will become of our bat populations?

Last year saw the completion of the census. Done very ten years as directed by the Constitution, it begins to provide a wonderful picture of who we are as a nation and how we’ve changed. However, every five years is another nation-wide survey that begins to provide us with a picture of who we are as outdoorsmen and women.

For biologists, the winter bat season has come to a close. Caves and mines have been explored. Bats have been counted and unfortunately for the Southern Appalachians, white-nose syndrome, the disease that is deadly to so many bats, was found in North Carolina.

Spring is upon us, and with it comes the annual northward migration of neo-tropical migratory birds returning from their Central and South American wintering grounds. One of those returning bird species is the golden-winged warbler, a tiny bird weighing in a little heavier than 3 pennies.

What simply looks like a swampy patch of land beside a farm field in Henderson County was actually once home to the most endangered plant in western North Carolina.

The team of biologists preparing to enter a Haywood, North Carolina mine suited up in two white Tyveck suits each and taped on rubber boots, and rubber gloves - this all part of an effort to help ensure the biologists aren’t a vector for the dreaded bat disease, white-nose syndrome.

What simply looks like a swampy patch of land beside a farm field in Henderson County was actually once home to the most endangered plant in western North Carolina.

The team of biologists preparing to enter a Haywood, North Carolina mine suited up in two white Tyveck suits each and taped on rubber boots, and rubber gloves - this all part of an effort to help ensure the biologists aren’t a vector for the dreaded bat disease, white-nose syndrome.

At first glance it appears to be merely a patch of woods and farm field beside an established Flat Rock neighborhood. However, to biologists it’s Ochlawaha bog, a degraded remnant of one of the rarest natural communities in North America, and it’s in the beginning stages of a resurgence.