Rare bat habitat a ‘gem’ for this Missouri community

Half a century after a limestone mine closed near Hannibal, MO, the cave is now home to more than 220,000 federally endangered Indiana bats. Enbridge funds helped The Conservation Fund and the City of Hannibal create the Sodalis Nature Preserve, based on 185 acres of land where the bats are protected forever. “This is a gem. What makes it so special is that the community has embraced it. They’ve created trails. There’s recreation here. They’re doing nature walks and teaching kids about the preserve,” says Nick Morgan, The Conservation Fund’s director of mitigation solutions. Still photo courtesy Steve Orr.