Jeff Lougee approaching Mascot Mine
Frozen entrance to Mascot Mine
There is an old mine in Gorham, New Hampshire up on a hill overlooking the Presidential Range and a small pond. Two entrance shafts, barred from entry, have become man-made hybernaculums (place to hybernate) for several species of bats. In case you happen to live in a cave and haven’t heard of the White-nose syndrome, it’s a disease that is killing bats while they hibernate. In an effort to collect samples of the diseased bats Jeff Lougee fromThe Nature Conservancy snowshoed to the mine to collect samples and help
Section of Bat Wing
prepare for further studies during this winter. Upon arrival at the main entrance of the mine Jeff collected a section of wing laying on the fresh 3 inches of snow from the night before. We were also greeted with silence, where usually there would be squeaking and chirping, signs of sleeping bats being awoken. A few more trips to the mine are slated for this winter for a more in depth study in hopes of getting closer to helping a quickly dwindling bat population.
