Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources researchers say they've discovered a new species of bat living in Wisconsin. The so-called evening bat was previously thought to summer only as far north as Illinois.
The Yahara 2070 research project uses science to project potential changes in the watershed surrounding Madison. Monica Turner, an ecology professor at UW-Madison and one of the project's principal investigators, discusses the research.
U.S. Geological Survey chronic wasting disease project leader Bryan Richards said the growth of CWD is unprecedented in north-central Iowa County. Tactics to prevent CWD from spreading more around Wisconsin include educational programs and regulatory measures.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conservation biologist J. Paul White said white-nose syndrome, a fungal infection, cause bats to wake from hibernation, forcing them into winter conditions they cannot handle.
With infestations of the mosquito species containing the Zika virus found in Illinois, Iowa and southern Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Susan Paskewitz said there is a possibility that the species will be found in Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin professor Ken Genskow is chair of a work group studying the safety of liquid manure irrigation and its effects on health and the environment in places where it is used.
