Christopher E. Comer
Stephen F. Austin State University — Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Nacogdoches, TX

Update 1

The primary use of the 2 Echo Meter Touch units during this period was for outreach and education activities. These activities consisted primarily of the following three events:

1. From May 5-7, 2017, we hosted the 2017 Pollinator PowWow in Nacogdoches, TX. This event had nearly 150 participants from across Texas, Louisiana, and even southern Arkansas. The primary activity for the first night of the conference was "Bat Night", where participants were able to see captured bats up close and be a part of a Bat Walk with Dr. Merlin Tuttle. The Echo Meter touch units were the primary focus of the Bat Walk, with participants learning about echolocation in bats and how new technology makes echolocation calls accessible to interested citizens in addition to researchers. Approximately 55 individuals ranging in age from 9 to 75 years old participated in the Bat Walks.
2. As a part of the Wildlife Techniques class at SFASU, 26 undergraduate wildlife management students used the Echo Meter Touch units as part of a bat survey on the North Lanana Creek park area in the City of Nacogdoches. They conducted 3 nights of surveys in late April.
3. During the summer field station experience for forestry undergraduates at SFASU, we used the Echo Meter Touch units as part of the Field Wildlife Techniques class on the evenings of June 5-7, in conjunction with mist netting activity. This included 39 students.

Update 2

The 2 Echo Meter Touch units were used during this period for one event. On the weekend of September 22-24, 2017, we hosted a "bioblitz" event at the Pineywoods Conservation Center in Nacogdoches, TX. The event was hosted by undergraduate students in the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture here at Stephen F. Austin State University. It was open to the public and all data were recorded through iNaturalist. One component of the bioblitz was a bat walk using the bat Echo Meter touch units on the night of September 22. Ten individuals participated in the bat walk and they recorded 5 species of bats (Lasiurus borealis, L. cinereus, L. seminolus, Nycticeius humeralis, and Tadarida brasiliensis).

Update 3

The primary use of the 2 Echo Meter Touch units during this period was for outreach and education activities. During the summer field station experience for forestry undergraduates at SFASU, we used the Echo Meter Touch units as part of the Field Wildlife Techniques class on the evenings of June 4-6, 2018, in conjunction with mist netting activity. This included 56 undergraduate wildlife and forestry students.