What makes the BRIT Researchers tick? How did they develop an interest in botany, and how did they end up here? Find out at this very special presentation! Members of the BRIT Research staff will give a series of five-minute "lightning talks" about how they got started in science and what their current job entails. There will be time for questions and answers after, and our Welcome Center boasts a special exhibit about BRIT Research.

North American bats are subject to a number of potentially serious threats including emerging diseases and land-use change; however, there is great uncertainty as to whether such threats are detrimental to bat populations. Unlike birds, bats are cryptic, nocturnal, and produce vocalizations above human audible levels (ultrasonic). However, with ultrasonic detectors we can conduct surveys that allow us to record species-specific bat activity levels (an indicator of abundance) and activity patterns, such as migration. In turn, we can gain much needed insights into the population dynamics and stability of bats. Thus in 2013, we established the TCU Bat Outreach Program established in 2013, which not only raises public awareness for bats, but is the first long-term, citizen science-driven study to monitor bat populations in Texas, and potentially the United States. To date the TCU Bat Outreach Program involving K12 students has shown that urban parks can represent quality habitat for bats and essential migratory stopover sites.  This data has given us a better understanding of whether we can enhance and use urban refuges to benefit bat populations and this may be crucial to their conservation.

Green Revolution is an ESTEM (Environmental, Science, Technology, Engineering, and math) and positive youth-development program that provides environmental education experiences that sustain the natural curiosity of youth.

Click here to learn more about the Green Revolution program.

A lecture from our newest BRIT Research Botanist. Expected start date July 2018. Topic to be decided.