The Floyd County Soil & Water Conservation District received a $3,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana for a Bat House Project. Urban Conservation Specialist Jade Bilyeu spearheaded the project and secured the funds after attending the State Soil Conservation Board’s grant writing workshop. The project was implemented to lessen the impacts of pest insects within our community. Providing suitable bat habitat is a natural way to mitigate mosquitoes and other pest insects without the use of pesticides which can run-off into and pollute our waterways.
With the funds, the district was able to host 3 public educational and hands-on workshops held at one of the county’s park shelters. An additional workshop was held at the Purdue Extension Floyd County office for the Jr. Master Naturalists. At each of these workshops volunteers were able to assemble a bat house using the pre-cut pieces and directions we provided.
As a result of these workshops, volunteers built 100 bat houses and donated 350 hours of time! Of the bat houses built, 15 of them were distributed and installed in the county’s parks, 8 of them were installed on Silver Creek Water Corporation’s properties, and the remainder were given away to Floyd county residents for installation on their private property.