POWERGRAMS

In the midst of Alabama's deep, thickly wooded forests, it's possible to occasionally spy a real-life "Bat Man." Instead of fighting crime, these bat men and women – all trained experts on bats – take part in a "Bat Blitz," an organized mission to study bat populations across the Yellowhammer State. Researchers also look for signs of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats they capture. Since its discovery in the mid-2000s, this deadly fungus has killed millions of bats in the U.S. During the annual Bat Blitz, researchers spend three nights capturing and counting bats. They also look for signs of injuries or damage to their wings, some of which could be due to WNS. Most often seen from dusk to dawn, these tiny mammals are critically important to the ecosystem and to human life. "Bats eat a lot of pests that may otherwise prey on crops," said Environmental Affairs (EA) Specialist Dylan Shaw. "They keep mosquito numbers down and they're very important for maintaining ecosystem balance as it relates to insects." "Alabama Power is responsible for managing a lot of land in the state," Shaw noted. "A lot of this may be habitat for bats. We are committed to being good stewards of the resources we manage." A bat blitz is an intensive, multinight survey in which researchers come together in a historically under-surveyed part of the state. Shaw and other researchers, including EA Specialists Jeff Baker and Colin Dinken, who are members of Alabama's Bat Working Group, typically search for bats for several nights. The goal is to gauge the species' diversity, health and the overall bat population in a local area. During the blitz, teams of biologists set up extremely fine mist nets arranged between two poles, similar to a volleyball net. Once captured, biologists safely remove bats and identify their species. Researchers also determine whether the animals are male or female and whether they are reproductively active. "We measure the wings to help determine the species and get an idea of the maturity level, then check for signs of white-nose syndrome," he said. "We can pull the wing out and look for things like holes, which can be an indicator of disease." Bat blitzes have been held in the Southeast for more than 20 years. In Alabama, research has been conducted for about 15 years. Neighboring states have their own bat working groups that conduct similar annual bat blitzes. Occasionally, multiple states will team up to host a "regional" bat blitz. "It's really interesting, because biologists started conducting surveys prior to white-nose syndrome entering the state," said Shaw, who noted the fungus entered from the Northeast U.S. and slowly crept toward the Southeast. "We've been able to return to some of the sites that were surveyed pre-white-nose syndrome and conduct follow-up surveys to see how populations have responded," he added. "Unfortunately, we've seen some really significant decreases in several species, as much as 90 percent in many cases." WNS is now the main threat to bats in North America. The disease, which originated in Europe, was unintentionally introduced to North America and has since spread across many bat species. Findings from annual Bat Blitz studies are used by resource managers, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service, to inform management strategies. "For example, the occurrence information gathered during a blitz is used to update range maps, which show the geographic distribution of species," Shaw said. "These maps are crucial for conservation efforts, helping us identify areas where species may need additional protection." By Donna Cope 'Bat Blitz' mission is to find, preserve endangered bats in Alabama First responders gathered at the Pell City Municipal Complex on Aug. 6 for Safe-T-Zone, an Alabama Power presentation that focuses on the potential dangers of overhead and underground power lines. About 40 Pell City first responders looked on at Alabama Power's custom-built trailer. The trailer uses both primary and secondary voltage to show various real-life situations that first responders may encounter in the field, such as downed trees coming into contact with power lines or lines draping across vehicles. Topics included substation fires, generator backfeed, step potential, consequences of pulling a meter at a house fire and downed power lines. After the roughly 45-minute presentation, Lowry and three linemen hosted a Q&A session with first responders. Lowry noted that educating first responders about the potential danger of electricity is especially important, because first responders are often first on the scene at an accident. "They're the first on the scene nine times out of 10, unless we happen to ride by and see it," Lowry said. "That means they need to understand the dangers and our evaluation process. That's why the Safe-T-Zone program is essential to our team, to properly educate our community partners and ensure they're aware of the potential dangers." Lowry said that car accidents and downed trees are two most common dangers linemen respond to in the field when assisting first responders. Vehicles can strike poles, transformers and other facilities, potentially causing dangerous conditions. Trees are a concern, especially during or after storms. Lowry noted that just because a tree leaning on a line looks safe doesn't mean that it is not energized and a hazard. He also said that safety around electricity and downed power lines does not solely rest on first responders' shoulders, but also the general public. "Stay away," Lowry said. "Call Alabama Power, call 911 – treat every line like it is live and it is energized. Call us, let us come out there and evaluate it to ensure everyone stays safe." By Joey Blackwell Environmental stewardship SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT Safe-T-Zone educates Pell City first responders 3 Our goal is to educate these first responders on the dangers of electricity," said Blake Lowry, a senior risk management analyst and the event's instructor. "We show them a live case scenario of 14,400-volts like we see in residential neighborhoods and commercial properties – with the intent to inform them of the dangers so that they can learn from it and share this information with others. " " Risk Services employees lead Safe-T-Zone. (contributed) The company's Environmental Affairs specialists work to safeguard Alabama's bats. (contributed) Dylan Shaw checked a bat for WNS. (contributed)

• Cover