Justin Burchill, a senior biological sciences major from Fargo, North Dakota, and Hanna Edens, an NDSU alum and employee at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, targeted areas near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, west of Williston to track and document the federally endangered northern long-eared bat.
This summer Justin Burchill, a senior biological sciences major from Fargo, North Dakota, worked alongside Hanna Edens, a 2021 NDSU graduate, and a research team led by Mandy Guinn from United Tribes Technical College to track and document the federally endangered northern long-eared bat.
Burchill said it was an incredible experience.
“It was one of those unforgettable moments you had to experience firsthand; there was a lot of excitement,” Burchill said. lot of excitement,” Burchill said. “Documenting their presence is paving the way for more research, with the hope of aiding their recovery and helping them thrive again.”
Burchill worked for Guinn in Summer 2024 and is now working with Erin Gillam, NDSU professor of biological sciences, in Gillam’s lab. Gillam said the collaborative work has been ongoing to find the northern long-eared bat. While her lab and Guinn’s group captured a northern long-eared bat back in 2012, it was not backed up with genetic verification, an extra layer of identification often needed in North Dakota because there are another species that looks quite similar in the state.
The collaborative group of Burchill, Edens, Guinn and students from UTTC targeted areas near the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, west of Williston. They ultimately caught two northern long-eared bats with genetic verification confirming the species identification.
Gillam said the group’s work helps with bat management and conservation efforts in the state.
“We have had issues with groups in the past stating that there is no evidence that this species is found in North Dakota, and hence the protections afforded a federally endangered species should not apply. So, their captures this summer are super important in confirming, with no doubt, that this federally endangered species is present in North Dakota,” she said.
Through this experience Burchill said he gained hands-on skills and was able to learn a lot from Edens, who works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the other members of the research team.
“Thanks to Hanna's teaching, I quickly became fast and efficient at handling the bats, reducing stress on the animals even on the first night,” he said. “She also showed me how well-organized her workstation is, which further contributes to processing the bats efficiently. I plan to use these techniques to help me be a great biologist.”
After he graduates in December, Burchill will continue working in Gillam’s lab as a master’s student with a focus on the northern long-eared bat.
“Now that we know they are here, we want to study their habitat - more details are being worked on now,” he said.
