Jonathan Alonzo
A life-changing experience
Located less than 20 miles from downtown San Antonio, Texas, Bracken Cave Preserve is the largest bat colony in the world — home to nearly 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). Their summer nightly emergence is a jaw-dropping, life-changing experience — one that can become a bucket-list item for nature lovers worldwide that inspires people to support bat conservation.
We are committed to catalyzing the experience of Bracken bat flights to teach the public about the ecological and economic value of bats — sustainably increasing access for visitors and protecting a magnificent colony of Mexican free-tailed bats.
Preserving Bracken Cave and the largest bat colony in the world
In 2014, working with The Nature Conservancy, the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and many regional donors, we acquired 1,500 acres of land threatened by development. Last year, we welcomed over 5,000 visitors and volunteers, but we need to improve the preserve’s infrastructure to continue showcasing this incredible wildlife destination.
The Bats
The Bracken Team
Fran Hutchins – Director, Bracken Cave Preserve
Fran has been with Bat Conservation International since 2006, directing educational bat flight programs and the restoration work on BCI’s Bracken Cave Preserve and working with Central Texas landowners protecting other bat roosts. His work at the preserve protects the largest colony of bats in the world.
He is often asked to speak at various events, sharing his passion for informing the public about bats. This extended’s to schools, zoos, Scouts and organizations from around the world. He has been featured on Texas Country Reporter, Travel Channel, several documentaries as well as Texas Highway Magazine.
In 2013 he was recognized by the US Forest Service for Wings Across the Americas / BatsLIVE education program.
Fran is also a Caver and Texas Master Naturalist and Eagle Scout.
Krystie Miner – Project Coordinator
Krystie began working with BCI in January 2023 as the Project Coordinator for Bracken Cave Preserve. She coordinates volunteers to lead tours of Bracken Cave and to help with numerous other research, conservation, education, and citizen science projects. She also aids in other BCI projects as needed, including White-Nose Syndrome surveys and swabbing agave plants for eDNA.
Krystie has a background in wildlife research and conservation and has been working with bats since 2014. She has a B.S. in Ecology from Boise State University and an M.S. in Conservation Biology from Texas State University. She resides in San Antonio, Texas, where she is within a half hour drive to Bracken Cave and spends her spare time exploring the hill country with her dog.
