Volume 10, Issue 1, Spring 1992
THE FIRST TEN YEARS
Milestones
By Tuttle, Merlin D.
Milestones
1982
BCI founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 12, 1982
Game warden hired to protect bats of Khao Chong Pran Cave in Thailand
Government ban on quarrying saves Rakang Cave in Thailand
"Bats and Public Health" distributed to all state health departments in the United States
1983
Judges Cave, Florida's largest maternity roost for endangered gray bats, protected
BCI gains support for Thai student's endangered bumblebee bat study in Thailand
BCI's first audiovisual program, "Saving America's Bats," and 100,000 brochures funded by
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
200 "Saving America's Bats" distributed by USFWS to government agencies nationwide
1984
Wisconsin legislates ban on use of pesticides against bats
BCI study in East Africa demonstrates claims of fruit bat damage to crops are badly
exaggerated
1 million copies of Bacardi Imports' booklet, "The Most Famous Bat in the World," published,
setting the record straight about bats
1985
Cooperative effort protects Hubbards Cave, Tennessee, one of North America's three most important bat hibernation sites, with gate
Flying foxes added to protected list in New South Wales, Australia
BCI research project funded to investigate bat values in Old World tropical ecosystems
IUCN places bumblebee bat on 12 mostendangered list as result of 1983 study
BCI initiates discussions with Governor A.P. Lutali in American Samoa to protect flying foxes
from commercial hunting and to set aside lands for a national park to further safeguard their survival
Second BCI audiovisual program, "Bats: Myth & Reality," produced
1986
BCI moves headquarters from Milwaukee Public Museum to University of Texas at Austin
American Samoa passes legislation protecting flying foxes from commercial hunting, and
establishes game laws
Major educational campaign in Israel halts poisoning of bat caves with BCI assistance
BCI initiates efforts in Texas to protect Bracken Cave, world's largest bat colony, and to save
Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony, largest urban colony, from destruction
1987
With assistance from BCI, young member succeeds in obtaining a legislative ban against the
pesticide, Rozol, being used against bats in North Dakota
BCI testifies at congressional hearings to establish national park in American Samoa
BCI assists in successful efforts to add nine species of flying foxes to CITES Appendix II,
regulating international trade
Samanar Hill bat caves saved from quarrying activity in India
Study to investigate bat values in Old World tropics completed, revealing over 300 plant
species that rely on bats, with 450 commercial products derived from batdependent plants
New York Botanical Garden sponsors joint field study with BCI in French Guiana
1988
BCI works with National Speleological Society to prepare and assure passage of National
Cave Resources Protection Act in the United States
Samoan National Park bill signed by President Reagan, creating first tropical rain forest
national park, and protecting flying foxes
BCI and World Wildlife Fund initiate comprehensive education campaign in Costa Rica,
resulting in production of educational materials for distribution throughout Latin America
America's Neighborhood Bats published by University of Texas Press
1989
National Geographic Society funds Sonoran Desert BatCactus Project, twoyear field
research begins
BCI takes part in CITES conference in Lausanne, Switzerland; flying foxes added to
Appendix I of the CITES treaty, making international trade illegal
BCI Chairman Verne Read receives 1989 Chevron Conservation Award for his efforts on
behalf of Pacific island flying foxes
Survival Anglia and BCI begin filming documentary, "The Secret World of Bats," for CBS
television
First 10day bat ecology field workshop offered to train wildlife biologists and others in
techniques for the study of bats
"Bats of America" audiovisual program and poster produced
1990
BCI acquires twothirds ownership in Bracken Cave, world's largest known maternity colony
of bats, in central Texas
BCI and Texas Nature Conservancy begin joint management and protection of Eckert James
River Bat Cave in central Texas
Austin, Texas dedicates BCI educational exhibit at Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony and
declares itself America's bat capital
BCI hosts 14 island nations and countries at landmark Pacific Island Flying Fox Conference in
Honolulu, resulting in new cooperation and understanding for conservation of flying foxes
USFWS places first wildlife officer on Guam to enforce CITES treaty
Survey for flying foxes conducted on five Pacific islands
Sonoran Desert BatCactus Project concludes field studies, revealing importance of
endangered longnosed bats to three species of giant cacti
BCI assists conservation group in American Samoa with intensive educational campaign after
hurricane devastates flying fox habitat
BCI cosponsors major traveling educational exhibit in Israel
First series of oneday bat study workshops held, focusing on teaching participants how to
develop interpretive programs and solve community problems with bats
Austin, Texas schools initiate B.A.T. (Bat Awareness Team) Clubs with assistance from BCI
1991
Society for Conservation Biology selects BCI for 1991 Distinguished Achievement Award
"The Secret World of Bats" airs in Europe and Australia and is named Best Science
Documentary of the Year in 8th French Television Festival for Science and Documentary Films
America's Neighborhood Bats receives The Wildlife Society's 1991 Conservation Education
Award
BCI hosts 21st Annual Meeting of the North American Symposium on Bat Research
Pilot study conducted in central Texas to determine bat use of bridges and to design roost sites
into bridges
Began campaign to alert mining and conservation officials of impact of proposed changes to
General Mining Law on bats
Cooperative efforts to form conservation plan for U.S. migratory bat species begun with
Mexican biologists; survey of bat cave populations conducted in Mexico
BCI helps support study on cultural significance of fruit bats in Guam, which will assist with
future educational efforts
BCI participates in major cooperative survey of flying foxes in Palau
Pilot study conducted to help important Guatemalan bat cave
BCI supports study of coastal Peru's unique and threatened bat fauna
Educator's Activity Book About Bats published by BCI for elementary educators
Permanent educational exhibit erected at Eckert James River Bat Cave
First bat natural history tour to Costa Rica organized for members
All articles in this issue:

ON THE COVER
A Decade of Bat Conservation
THE FIRST TEN YEARS
National Geographic Society Receives BCI's First Distinguished Achievement
The Next 10 Years: A Look to the Future
Educating Through the Media
Zuri: Bat Superstar
Photography and bat conservation
Working at BCI
Celebrate BCI's 10th Anniversary Through a Gift for Life and Legacy
A New Home for BCI
A personal note from the founder of BCI
The Good Fortune of Bats