Fifty biologists and volunteers gathered across Fentress County and surrounding areas in late September for the 2026 Bat Blitz, an intensive two-night survey organized by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) Division of Biodiversity.

Despite stormy weather hampering the first night of netting, teams captured and studied 316 individual bats representing nine of Tennessee’s 16 species. The survey yielded sightings of two federally endangered species—the Indiana Bat and the Gray Bat—alongside the Tricolored Bat, which is currently proposed for endangered status. Researchers also documented two species of greatest conservation need: the Eastern Small-Footed Bat and the Rafinesque Big-Eared Bat.

The annual survey serves a dual purpose: gathering critical data to update Tennessee’s State Wildlife Action Plan and training the next generation of researchers in proper handling, trapping, and identification techniques. Participants traveled from as far away as Idaho and Oklahoma, collaborating with key partners including The Nature Conservancy and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Event overseer and TWRA Biologist Dustin Thames highlighted the urgency of the work, noting that bat populations have faced mounting pressure from habitat loss and White-nose Syndrome, a devastating fungal disease first detected in the U.S. in 2006. Beyond ecological preservation, conservation advocates emphasize that bats play a vital role in natural pest control, saving American farmers billions of dollars each year by managing insect populations.