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Bethany Straw

Bethany is a Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center, where she serves as Assistant Coordinator of the North American Bat Monitoring Program. 

Bethany is a biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center. She serves as the Assistant Coordinator of the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) providing leadership and direction of NABat across international boundaries. Bethany's research interests have focused on the relationship between stressors like wind energy and wildlife seeking to improve understanding of the source and magnitude of impact renewable energy has on wildlife and solutions to minimize risk. Now as the Assistant Program Coordinator for NABat her work is aimed at coordinating a continental scale monitoring program that collects, aggregates and analyzes data that can answer key questions related to population status, trends and occupancy for North America's 47 bats species.

Professional Experience

  • 2020 - Present: Biologist and NABat Assistant Coordinator, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO

  • 2018 - 2020: Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Wind Technology Center, Boulder, CO

  • 2015 - 2018: Business Support Specialist, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, National Wind Technology Center, Boulder, CO

  • 2008 - 2010: Independent Consultant, Ventura, CA

  • 2007 - 2008: Administrative Services Coordinator, American Lung Association, Santa Barbara, CA

  • 2007: Field Technician, Phoinix Corporation, Lynnwood, WA

Education and Certifications

  • B.A., University of Redlands, 2006

     

Science and Products

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Image Collage of Landsat, pollinator, and volcanologist

Translational science for renewable energy and its wildlife concerns: a synthesis of wind energy buildout, bat population ecology, and habitat constraints

Wind energy is poised for rapid growth over the next 2-3 decades yet fatalities to birds and bats is a leading concern that may constrain wind energy development in the US. This working group will integrate wind energy forecasting models with bat ecological models and management policy considerations to transform our ability to understand and manage renewable energy development while minimizing un
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Species Management Research Program, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis
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Translational science for renewable energy and its wildlife concerns: a synthesis of wind energy buildout, bat population ecology, and habitat constraints

Wind energy is poised for rapid growth over the next 2-3 decades yet fatalities to birds and bats is a leading concern that may constrain wind energy development in the US. This working group will integrate wind energy forecasting models with bat ecological models and management policy considerations to transform our ability to understand and manage renewable energy development while minimizing un
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Bats benefit from maintaining a close-knit roosting group.

North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat)

North American bats face unprecedented threats including habitat loss and fragmentation, white-nose syndrome, wind energy development, and climate change. However, it is difficult to evaluate the impacts of these threats due to a lack of basic information about the distribution and abundance of bats across the continent. Although bat monitoring has long been conducted in individual areas and for...
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Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
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North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat)

North American bats face unprecedented threats including habitat loss and fragmentation, white-nose syndrome, wind energy development, and climate change. However, it is difficult to evaluate the impacts of these threats due to a lack of basic information about the distribution and abundance of bats across the continent. Although bat monitoring has long been conducted in individual areas and for...
Learn More

North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) Integrated Summer Species Distribution Model: Predicted Tricolored Bat Occupancy Probabilities

These data contain the results from the North American Bat Monitoring Program's (NABat) integrated species distribution model (iSDM) for tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus). The provided tabular data include predictions (with uncertainty) for tricolored bat occupancy probabilities (i.e., probability of presence) based on data from the entire summer season (May 1–Aug 31), averaged from 2017-2022
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Fort Collins Science Center

North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) Bayesian Hierarchical Model for Winter Abundance: Predicted Population Estimates (2022 and 2023)

The dataset is comprised of historical observations and predictions of winter colony counts at known sites for three bat species (little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus; tricolored bat, Perimyotis subflavus; and big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus). The dataset consists of two separate but related data files in tabular format (comma-separated values [.csv]). Each data set consists of predicted winter coun
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Fort Collins Science Center

Attributed North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) 5km x 5km Master Sample and Grid-Based Sampling Frame

This data release contains the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) Master Sampling Grid at the 5 km x 5 km scale with biologically relevant covariates for NABat analyses attributed to each cell of the 5 km x 5 km grid frame for the continental United States. It was created using ArcPro and the 'sf', 'tidyverse', 'dplyr' and 'exactextractr' packages in R to extract covariates from multipl
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Fort Collins Science Center

Attributed North American Grid-Based Offshore Sampling Frames

This sampling frame is a set of grid-based, finite-area frames spanning the offshore areas surrounding Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and is intended for use with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat). A Generalized Random-Tessellation Stratified (GRTS) Survey Design draw was added to the sample units from the raw sampling grids (https://doi.org/10.5066/P9XBOCVV). The GRTS surv
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Fort Collins Science Center

Training dataset for NABat Machine Learning V1.0

Bats play crucial ecological roles and provide valuable ecosystem services, yet many populations face serious threats from various ecological disturbances. The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) aims to assess status and trends of bat populations while developing innovative and community-driven conservation solutions using its unique data and technology infrastructure. To support scalab
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Fort Collins Science Center

Status and Trends of North American Bats Summer Occupancy Analysis 2010-2019 Data Release

This data release contains the results from the North American Bat Monitoring Program's report titled 'Status and Trends of North American Bats Summer Occupancy Analysis 2010-2019'. Specifically, these data include tabular data and geospatial data for the species-specific results related to the status and trends of 12 bat species at multiple spatial scales including: 10 km x 10 km grid cells, stat
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Fort Collins Science Center

Bat, insect, and bird activity at a wind turbine in Colorado experimentally illuminated with ultraviolet light at night in 2019 to try and deter bats

Certain species of tree-dwelling bats die after colliding with the moving blades of industrial wind turbines. Based on the speculation that these bats approach turbines after visually mistaking them for trees, we tested a potential light-based deterrence method. It is likely that the affected bats see ultraviolet (UV) light at low intensities. Here, we present the results of a multi-month experime
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Fort Collins Science Center

In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Predicted Wind Take Allocated To Hibernacula Each Year Under Current and Future Scenarios

Through the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat), United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical and science support to assist in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' (USFWS) Species Status Assessment ('SSA") for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). USGS facilitated the SSA data call,
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Fort Collins Science Center

In Support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-Bat Species Status Assessment: Wind Energy Influence

Through the North American Bat Monitoring Program, United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical and science support to assist in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' Species Status Assessment ("SSA") for the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), and tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus). USGS facilitated the SSA data call, provided data ar
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Fort Collins Science Center
Title card for video: Introduction to the North American Bat Monitoring Program link
Introduction to NABat
Title card with text: NABat Training Webinar (2023): Planning, Partner Portal Prep, & Protocols for Mobile Acoustic Surveys link
Planning, Partner Portal Prep, & Protocols for Mobile Acoustic Surveys
NABat Training Webinar (2022): Uploading Stationary/Mobile Acoustic Surveys to the NABat Partner Portal link
Uploading Stationary/Mobile Acoustic Surveys to the NABat Partner Portal
Training Webinar (2022): Scripts, Tools, & Other Resources for Processing and Uploading NABat Data link
Scripts, Tools, & Other Resources for Processing and Uploading NABat Data
Working with Large Datasets Workshop (2023) Day 1 Outline link
Managing Large Datasets Workshop (Day 1)
Title card for: Managing Large Datasets Workshop (Day 2) Webinar link
Managing Large Datasets Workshop (Day 2)
Title card for webinar: Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 1 Introduction) link
Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 1 - Introduction)
title card for Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 2 Creating an NABat Project and Species List) link
Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 2 - Creating an NABat Project and Species List)
title card for recording of Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 3 External Roost Surveys) link
Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 3 - External Roost Surveys)
title card for Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 4 Acoustic Surveys) link
Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 4 Acoustic Surveys)
title card for recording of Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 5 Uploading Acoustic Data) link
Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 5 - Uploading Acoustic Data)
title card for Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 6 Finish Submitting Project) link
Florida Bonneted Bat Data Submission Workshop (Part 6 - Finish Submitting Project)
Black background with text "Creating an NABat Partner Portal Project" text in white. link
Training Webinar: Creating an NABat Partner Portal Project
Black background with text "Community of Practice Call: Using the Partner Portal Cell Selection Tool" in white text link
Community of Practice Call: Using the Partner Portal Cell Selection Tool
Black background with text "Community of Practice Call: Understanding the NABat Master Sample" in white text link
Community of Practice Call: Understanding the NABat Master Sample

North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) mobile acoustic transect surveys standard operating procedure 3—Conducting mobile transect surveys

This standard operating procedure (SOP) provides instructions and considerations for conducting mobile acoustic surveys along road transects to collect bat acoustic data following the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocol and sample design. This report discusses measures for ensuring the safety of surveyors and efficiency of mobile transect surveys. This guidance is intended to ai
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Jaclyn Martin, MacKenzie Hall, Emily Ferrall, Han Li, Jason Rae, Bethany Straw, Brian Reichert
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) mobile acoustic transect surveys standard operating procedure 1—Locating and establishing mobile transect routes

This document is the first of three standard operating procedures (SOPs) providing instructions and considerations for conducting mobile acoustic surveys along road transects to collect bat acoustic data following the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocol and sample design. This SOP focuses specifically on selecting NABat grid cells and establishing mobile transect survey routes u
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Jaclyn Martin, Dane Smith, Han Li, MacKenzie Hall, Emily Ferrall, Jason Rae, Bethany Straw, Brian Reichert
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) Mobile Acoustic Transect Surveys Standard Operating Procedure 2—Field Season and Survey Preparation

This document is the second of three standard operating procedures providing instructions and considerations for conducting mobile acoustic surveys along road transects to collect bat acoustic data following the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) protocol and sample design. This standard operating procedure focuses specifically on considerations for establishing the field survey season
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Jaclyn Martin, Jason Rae, MacKenzie Hall, Emily Ferrall, Han Li, Bethany Straw, Brian Reichert
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

NABat ML: Utilizing deep learning to enable crowdsourced development of automated, scalable solutions for documenting North American bat populations

Bats play crucial ecological roles and provide valuable ecosystem services, yet many populations face serious threats from various ecological disturbances. The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) aims to use its technology infrastructure to assess status and trends of bat populations, while developing innovative and community-driven conservation solutions.Here, we present NABat ML, an au
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Ali Khalighifar, Benjamin S. Gotthold, Erin Adams, Jenny K. Barnett, Laura O. Beard, Eric R. Britzke, Paul A. Burger, Kimberly Chase, Zackary Cordes, Paul M. Cryan, Emily Ferrall, Christopher T. Fill, Scott E. Gibson, G. Scott Haulton, Kathryn Irvine, Lara S. Katz, William L. Kendall, Christen A. Long, Oisin Mac Aodha, Tessa McBurney, Sarah McCarthy-Neumann, Matthew W. McKown, Joy O’Keefe, Lucy D. Patterson, Kristopher A. Pitcher, Matthew Rustand, Jordi L. Segers, Kyle Seppanen, Jeremy L. Siemers, Christian Stratton, Bethany Straw, Theodore J. Weller, Brian Reichert
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Status and trends of North American bats: Summer occupancy analysis 2010-2019

• We developed an analytical pipeline supported by web-based infrastructure for integrating continental scale bat monitoring data (stationary acoustic, mobile acoustic, and capture records) to estimate summer (May 1–Aug 31) occupancy probabilities and changes in occupancy over time for 12 North American bat species. This serves as one of multiple lines of evidence that inform the status and trends

Authors
Bradley James Udell, Bethany Straw, Tina L. Cheng, Kyle Enns, Winifred F. Frick, Benjamin Gotthold, Kathryn Irvine, Cori Lausen, Susan Loeb, Jonathan D. Reichard, Thomas J. Rodhouse, Dane Smith, Christian Stratton, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Brian Reichert
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

Analytical assessments in support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3-bat species status assessment

Beginning in February of 2020, researchers and staff of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Bat Conservation International (BCI), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Montana State University associated with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) collaborated with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to provide technical assistance in support o
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Acoustic and genetic data can reduce uncertainty regarding populations of migratory tree-roosting bats impacted by wind energy

Wind turbine-related mortality may pose a population-level threat for migratory tree-roosting bats, such as the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) in North America. These species are dispersed within their range, making it impractical to estimate census populations size using traditional survey methods. Nonetheless, understanding population size and trends is essential for evaluating and mitigating ris
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Amanda Hale, Cris D. Hein, Bethany Straw
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Influencing activity of bats by dimly lighting wind turbine surfaces with ultraviolet light

Wind energy producers need deployable devices for wind turbines that prevent bat fatalities. Based on the speculation that bats approach turbines after visually mistaking them for trees, we tested a potential light-based deterrence method. It is likely that the affected bats see ultraviolet (UV) light at low intensities. Here, we present the results of a multi-month experiment to cast dim, flicker
Authors
Paul M. Cryan, Marcos Gorresen, Bethany Straw, Syhoune 'Simon' Thao, Elise DeGeorge
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

North American Bat Monitoring Program: NABat Acoustic ML, Version 1.0.1

Bats play crucial ecological roles, and provide valuable ecosystem services, yet many populations face serious threats from various ecological disturbances. The North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) aims to assess status and trends of bat populations, while developing innovative and community-driven conservation solutions using its unique data and technology infrastructure. To support scal
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Fort Collins Science Center
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USGS scientists collaborate with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to develop a standardized assessment protocol to support monitoring of the impact of transportation structures on bats

USGS scientists from FORT with the North American Bat Monitoring Program are working with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) to...

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USGS scientists with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) release new distribution data for the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus).

USGS scientists from FORT and NOROCK with the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) recently published the resulting data of a range-wide...

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Biologists Address Wind Energy Impact to Bats

New research published in a Special Issue of the Journal Animals advances our knowledge of the interactions of bats with wind turbines. Scientists lay...

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