Grassroots on a Global Scale

Since 1998, BCI has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships and small grants to more than 200 aspiring bat conservation leaders for projects in 40-plus countries. Our grassroots grants support the work of exceptionally talented students and professionals. These awards of $1,000 to $5,000 provide opportunities for further funding by attracting matching grants from other funding sources. BCI grants especially encourage research and conservation projects to address the lack of basic knowledge regarding some species’ ecology, distribution and behavior.

BCI is proud to announce the five projects selected for 2015 grassroots grant funding:

1. Steps forward in the conservation of the Curaçaoan long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae) in Venezuela; Dr. Jafet Nassar, Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research, Venezuela
2. A national assessment of the endemic and critically endangered Hill’s Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hilli); Dr. Paul Webala, Maasai Mara University, Kenya
3. Project Pteropus: Interactions between flying foxes, plants and people on Tioman Island — Implications for conservation; Sheema Abdul Aziz, Rimba Research, Malaysia
4. Human-wildlife conflict mitigation in Malawi: Establishing a national bat helpline and roost-monitoring programme; Dr. Emma Stone, African Bat Conservation/University of Bristol, United Kingdom
5. Ecology and conservation of Guadalcanal’s monkey-faced bats; Dr. Tyrone Lavery, The University of Queensland, Australi

FOR MORE

Learn about each project at batcon.org/grassroots.