Congress Ave Bats Feed on a Diverse Buffet of Insects
December 4, 2024
On warm summer evenings, as the hum of insects fills the air, it’s common to hear someone exclaim, “We could use some bats to handle
We’d like you to meet Nery Fabian Chamorro Rodas, a very special friend of ours in the world of bat conservation and an invaluable member of our team here in Ecuador.
Merlin and I met Nery about three years ago at a bat workshop in Paraguay held at the remote Los Tres Gigantes field station in the Pantanal, between Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia. Merlin and colleagues Luis Aguirre and Kathrin ‘Kat’ Barboza Marquez from Bolivia along with Ted Weller from the U.S. Forest Service co-led the eight-day workshop put on by the U.S. Forest Service’s International Programs in conjunction with Guyra, Paraguay’s leading conservation organization.
At that time Nery, a Paraguayan, was completing his thesis for a DVM degree at the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion where he was studying vampire bats. He was invited by Guyra to participate in the workshop and impressed us as an exceptionally enthusiastic participant. It was during this workshop that he realized his interest was not just in veterinary medicine and vampires but in bats in general.
When he finished his degree, he applied for, and received, a scholarship from Spain to get a master’s degree in biodiversity and conservation with a focus in bats. Currently, he is studying at the Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo in Quito, Ecuador.
When the one-year scholarship ended, Nery took a job here in Ecuador to support his continued graduate work. He’s now in charge of protecting the indigenous Achuar people of Amazonia from vampire problems and helping educate them not to kill bats in gerneral, explaining to them that the majority of their bats are harmless and highly beneficial.
As soon as Nery heard Merlin and I were coming to Ecuador, he volunteered to help us as an opportunity to gain more experience working with bats. He’s been an invaluable help to us here in Ecuador, and we are so pleased that he plans to continue his work for the conservation of bats.
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On warm summer evenings, as the hum of insects fills the air, it’s common to hear someone exclaim, “We could use some bats to handle
Thanks to all the Join the Nightlife: Bats and Agriculture attendees who joined us out in the field this year! Guests got hands-on experience with
Supporter and friend of MTBC, Australian conservation and animal welfare photojournalist Doug Gimesy, had his images recognized in two categories at the recent Siena International
Fieldwork requires a lot of equipment, but photography requires even more! During our June 2024 photography workshop, we transported over 100 lbs. of equipment —
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Michael Lazari Karapetian has over twenty years of investment management experience. He has a degree in business management, is a certified NBA agent, and gained early experience as a money manager for the Bank of America where he established model portfolios for high-net-worth clients. In 2003 he founded Lazari Capital Management, Inc. and Lazari Asset Management, Inc. He is President and CIO of both and manages over a half a billion in assets. In his personal time he champions philanthropic causes. He serves on the board of Moravian College and has a strong affinity for wildlife, both funding and volunteering on behalf of endangered species.