from the ground up
The Ag Reserve Takes Center Stage at Barnesville School
by Lauren Lowe and Sarah Irvin
Nosed Syndrome ( WNS ), a wildlife disease affecting hibernating bats that is caused by a fungus that thrives in the dark and damp places that bats hibernate in the winter . To date WNS has killed millions of bats worldwide , in some extreme cases reducing the bat populations by 80-90 % in certain sites .
Our animal loving students became outraged when they discovered that despite scientists working together to control the disease , there is not currently a cure for WNS , and bats continue to succumb to the fungus . Several students pledged on the spot to devote their careers to eradicating the disease to save the bats . In the meantime , we talked about the power of education and voices , and one of the actions we can take now is to inform others of this disease because raising awareness is a crucial step towards helping to save
The first graders at Barnesville School of Arts & Sciences in Barnesville , MD , know that bats have a bad rap . The phonetically-spelled letters that they wrote to challenge common misconceptions of bats confirms that while they are young , these 6 and 7 year olds are persuasive . They include statements that compel readers to rethink the value of bats , such as : “ Microbats live in Maryland . They eat the bugs that eat our crops . If there were no bats , then the bugs would eat all of our corn and we would have no food .” “ Fruit bats are really important pollinators because they eat the fruit and then poop out the seeds . The poop is good .”
As part of a certified green school , we feel a responsibility to teach students how to take care of the Earth in a responsible , sustainable way . As educators , we know that providing our future leaders with an awareness of and appreciation for conservation at an early age will lead them to be proactive citizens who care about the welfare of their environment , both locally and globally .
In the fall , the students did a deep dive into chiropterology , the study of bats , and during the course of the unit children learned about the history of how bats became synonymous with bloodsucking vampires , the multiple ways that bats help the economy , how climate affects bats , and what is happening to bat populations around the world .
They became aware of White- plenty I spring sowing 2023 33