Feature Article Writing Sample-Part I
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FACTS AL OUT BATS: TALES FROM B Cl’s PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAM /4’ 0 MA’AM, bats don’t make nests in sofas.” Nor do they chew holes in walls, chase children and pets, or suck human blood—but questions like these are common for BCI’s public information staff, Every week they respond to hundreds of calls, letters, and e-mail queries from citizens, educators, cor porations, and a variety of govern ment agencies, with requests ranging from the urgent to the humorous. One worried caller contacted BCI because he was told that to get rid of the bats living in his summer cottage, he would have to burn it down. Obviously, the hapless homeowner had been given incorrect informa tion—a common occurrence. Although we’re always eager to share our expertise, providing these services is a daunting task. Each month, BCI receives an average of 1,400 letters and 1,800 phone requests for general and scientific information about bats. Of these, more than 400 involve conservation needs, nuisance problems, and public health emer gencies that require special handling by our Conservation Information Coordinator, Barbara French, our Public Information Officer, Bob Benson, or one of our six other back up staff specialists. Many of these calls are simple cases of mistaken identity. Once, a rock-quarry worker wanted to find out how to get rid of “all the bats making a mess in our quarry.” When asked to describe the situation, the caller said, “They keep messing around in the puddles, then they fly up to the cliff and smash mud all over the place.” Barbara French asked if these activities were occur ring in the daytime. “All day long,” the caller responded. French smiled—bats in the daytime? “No sir, what you have are cliff swallows.” On another occasion, a panic was set off by “screaming bats swarming around the streetlights” of an urban neighborhood. Parents were forbid ding their children to go outside in the evening. “It’s a swarm of rabid bats,” the upset caller insisted to French. “They’re making a loud, whistling noise and swooping close to the streetlights.” The witness described the animals as having white markings on their wings. With that clue, French knew immediately that the frightening creatures were only hungry nighthawks hunting for insects. Sometimes, however, bats really are the culprits—most often annoy ing homeowners by roosting where \ they are not wanted. In years past, people who discovered bats in their houses would probably call one per son: the local exterminator. These days, thanks in part 10 BCI’s public information efforts, more and more people are investigating the alterna tives. The most successful of these is the exclusion method, a simple way of netting roost exits to prevent bats from re-entering their roost sites. Exclusions are a humane and effec tive way to rid a home of unwanted bats, and detailed instructions are provided in BCI’s “Dealing with Unwanted Guests” brochure. French estimates that the exclusion informa tion BCI has provided this year alone has saved many thousands of bats. “Dealing with Unwanted Guests” is just one of our “Facts on the fly” brochures, which cover topics rang ing from student reading lists to pub lic health information. The brochures were created to provide the maxi mum amount of information to callers while minimizing time demands on staff members. I T IS OUR HOPE that recipients of the brochures, and of course our mem bers, will help pass on correct infor mation to their communities, their local animal control and public health ofticials, and the press. Because many people get their introduction to bats through the media, it is critical that writers and reporters have accurate and complete information. It falls to Bob Benson, our Public Information Officer, to contain false news reports and articles—as our progress can eas ily be reversed by even a few irre sponsible journalists. In the early ‘90s the popular columnist Ann Landers published a letter from a man who claimed he was attacked by a fruit bat in Austin, Texas. (The flaw in this claim is probably apparent to many of our members.) Landers’ response was a perfect example of the igno rance and prejudice facing bats. “Bats were never very high on my hit parade,” she wrote, and in a later col umn described bats as “unappealing and just plain ugly” Of course, her comments caused an avalanche of mail from our members as ;vell as an official reply from Benson. Landers was so overwhelmed that she vowed to never mention bats again and asked people to stop sending her bat- related mail [BATS, Summer 19901. One of He most damaging stories in recent BCI history came from Michigan in 1993. It was reported that gases from bat guano had caused the explosion of an abandoned park headquarters building [BATS, Spring 19941. The story was circulated nationally by the Associated Press, which led media personalities such as radio commentator Paul Harvey and syndicated columnist Dave Barry to pick it up. Suddenly park officials were deluged. “We got calls from all over the world,” park manager Wayne Suida later told a reporter. As is often the case with negative media attention, BCI members sent us clip pings of the story and asked us to come to the bats’ defense. The public information staff responded and, with Merlin Tuttle’s help, prompted officials to reopen the case. Inves tigators determined that the blast was caused by the accidental ignition of methane gas from the septic sys tem—the bats were vindicated. It is difficult to imagine how many bats could be exterminated as a result of even one such alarming story B ECAUSE OF BCI’s REPUTATION for responding to conservation emer gencies, our members and concerned citizens, as well as government and private organizations, often warn us about potential problems. Such was BCI staff answer hundreds of questions a week— some amusing, others critically important B JOAN Iv r Bats roost ing in attics, like these Yunza bats (Myotis Vumanensis), often prompt homeowners to seek advice on how to safely remove them. BCI provides callers with exclusion information and referrals to reputable pest control companies. BCI’s Conservation Information Coordinator, Barbara French, enjoys dispelling com mon myths about bats and pro viding much-needed information. 10 BATS. Vol. 13, No.4, Winter 1995 BAlE, Vol. 13, No.4, Winter 1995 11
description
Feature Article Writing Sample-Part I
Transcript of Feature Article Writing Sample-Part I
FACTS AL OUT BATS: TALES FROM BCl’s PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAM
/4’ 0 MA’AM, bats don’tmake nests in sofas.”Nor do they chewholes in walls, chase
children and pets, or suck humanblood—but questions like these arecommon for BCI’s public informationstaff, Every week they respond tohundreds of calls, letters, and e-mailqueries from citizens, educators, corporations, and a variety of government agencies, with requests rangingfrom the urgent to the humorous.One worried caller contacted BCIbecause he was told that to get rid ofthe bats living in his summer cottage,he would have to burn it down.Obviously, the hapless homeownerhad been given incorrect information—a common occurrence.
Although we’re always eager toshare our expertise, providing theseservices is a daunting task. Eachmonth, BCI receives an average of1,400 letters and 1,800 phone requestsfor general and scientific informationabout bats. Of these, more than 400involve conservation needs, nuisanceproblems, and public health emergencies that require special handlingby our Conservation InformationCoordinator, Barbara French, ourPublic Information Officer, BobBenson, or one of our six other backup staff specialists.
Many of these calls are simplecases of mistaken identity. Once, arock-quarry worker wanted to findout how to get rid of “all the batsmaking a mess in our quarry.” Whenasked to describe the situation, thecaller said, “They keep messingaround in the puddles, then they flyup to the cliff and smash mud allover the place.” Barbara Frenchasked if these activities were occurring in the daytime. “All day long,”the caller responded. Frenchsmiled—bats in the daytime? “No sir,what you have are cliff swallows.”
On another occasion, a panic wasset off by “screaming bats swarmingaround the streetlights” of an urbanneighborhood. Parents were forbidding their children to go outside inthe evening. “It’s a swarm of rabidbats,” the upset caller insisted toFrench. “They’re making a loud,whistling noise and swooping closeto the streetlights.” The witnessdescribed the animals as havingwhite markings on their wings. Withthat clue, French knew immediatelythat the frightening creatures wereonly hungry nighthawks hunting forinsects.
Sometimes, however, bats reallyare the culprits—most often annoying homeowners by roosting where
\ they are not wanted. In years past,people who discovered bats in theirhouses would probably call one person: the local exterminator. Thesedays, thanks in part 10 BCI’s publicinformation efforts, more and morepeople are investigating the alternatives. The most successful of these isthe exclusion method, a simple wayof netting roost exits to prevent batsfrom re-entering their roost sites.Exclusions are a humane and effective way to rid a home of unwantedbats, and detailed instructions areprovided in BCI’s “Dealing withUnwanted Guests” brochure. Frenchestimates that the exclusion information BCI has provided this year alonehas saved many thousands of bats.“Dealing with Unwanted Guests” isjust one of our “Facts on the fly”brochures, which cover topics ranging from student reading lists to public health information. The brochureswere created to provide the maximum amount of information tocallers while minimizing timedemands on staff members.
IT IS OUR HOPE that recipients of thebrochures, and of course our mem
bers, will help pass on correct information to their communities, theirlocal animal control and public healthofticials, and the press. Because manypeople get their introduction to batsthrough the media, it is critical thatwriters and reporters have accurateand complete information. It falls toBob Benson, our Public InformationOfficer, to contain false news reportsand articles—as our progress can easily be reversed by even a few irresponsible journalists. In the early ‘90sthe popular columnist Ann Landerspublished a letter from a man whoclaimed he was attacked by a fruitbat in Austin, Texas. (The flaw in thisclaim is probably apparent to many
of our members.) Landers’ responsewas a perfect example of the ignorance and prejudice facing bats. “Batswere never very high on my hitparade,” she wrote, and in a later column described bats as “unappealingand just plain ugly” Of course, hercomments caused an avalanche ofmail from our members as ;vell as anofficial reply from Benson. Landerswas so overwhelmed that she vowedto never mention bats again andasked people to stop sending her bat-related mail [BATS, Summer 19901.
One of He most damaging storiesin recent BCI history came fromMichigan in 1993. It was reported thatgases from bat guano had caused theexplosion of an abandoned parkheadquarters building [BATS, Spring19941. The story was circulatednationally by the Associated Press,which led media personalities such asradio commentator Paul Harvey andsyndicated columnist Dave Barry to
pick it up. Suddenly park officialswere deluged. “We got calls from allover the world,” park managerWayne Suida later told a reporter. Asis often the case with negative mediaattention, BCI members sent us clippings of the story and asked us tocome to the bats’ defense. The publicinformation staff responded and,with Merlin Tuttle’s help, promptedofficials to reopen the case. Investigators determined that the blast wascaused by the accidental ignition ofmethane gas from the septic system—the bats were vindicated. It isdifficult to imagine how many batscould be exterminated as a result ofeven one such alarming story
BECAUSE OF BCI’s REPUTATION forresponding to conservation emer
gencies, our members and concernedcitizens, as well as government andprivate organizations, often warn usabout potential problems. Such was
BCI staff answerhundreds of
questions a week—some amusing,others criticallyimportant
B JOAN Iv
r
Bats roost ing in attics, like these Yunza bats (Myotis Vumanensis), often prompthomeowners to seek advice on how to safely remove them. BCI provides callerswith exclusion information and referrals to reputable pest control companies.
BCI’s Conservation Information Coordinator, Barbara French, enjoys dispelling common myths about bats and pro viding much-needed information.
10 BATS. Vol. 13, No.4, Winter 1995 BAlE, Vol. 13, No.4, Winter 1995 11
