Bat happens

It's been official for a while now: Huntsville is so much more than a prison town. Dan Phillips' unusual houses have garnered national coverage, for example, and we have a pretty impressive array of murals, too. We also have more museums per capita than any other city in Texas.

Our bat population also puts us on the map. For the past twenty years, nearly one million Mexican free-tailed bats have inhabited the abandoned cotton warehouse across from the Walls Unit. Not everyone has embraced this massive colony, but plans to protect their unlikely home may be afoot.

Help just when they needed it most

The bats interfered with a parking lot the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) wanted to put in that location. In 2017, they were close to getting evicted, but locals, wildlife enthusiasts, and state entities like the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) swooped in and halted the demolition.

Experts were brought in from Florida to determine if the colony could be moved. The conclusion was that the colony was too big. Nevertheless, TDCJ built some "bat condos" with inmate labor in hopes of luring the bats away from the warehouse. Nearly a decade later, the houses remain vacant and the roost in the warehouse continues to grow.

The nonprofit Austin Bat Refuge was one of many entities who helped protect the bats during the proposed demolition years. The organization is made up of Dianne Odegard, who worked then for Bat Conservation International as Education and Public Outreach Manager, and Lee Mackenzie, whose carpentry trade gave him intimate knowledge of construction practices and vulnerable entry points. Together they recognized that “the materials were substandard, making the finished products unlikely to attract bats.”

A few years after the condos’ construction, Austin Bat Refuge and Dan Jones, then a biologist for the TPWD, installed dataloggers in the warehouse and a bat condo. They found that “portions of the lower level of the warehouse, even with all its open areas, remained above freezing during the frigid temperatures of [February 2021's "Snowmaggedon"], while the artificial roosts stayed approximately the same as the outdoor ambient temperature,” Odegard shared.

Maybe this is why the bats have stayed put. Or maybe it’s because TDCJ didn’t take the recommendations from the working group about proper construction. Or because the bats prefer their luxury hangout complete with day and night roosts along with maternity (nursery), hibernaculum (winter), and bachelor roost areas. Maybe it’s simply because the bat condos can't house the whole colony.

According to TPWD's Lerrin Johnson, “Some of those factors could include differences or similarities in the condo construction, increased activity near the condos, thermal profiles, olfactory environments, humidity levels, and many other possibilities.” Whatever the reason, the bats simply have not taken to them. The question still looms: what is the long-term solution for a massive bat population – one of the largest urban colonies in the state – roosting in a dilapidated building?

Let the roost remain

One answer is to preserve the historic building, which will be ninety years old next year. In March 2022 a portion of the building was torn down, but with the help of local resident Robin Logan and Nate Fuller of the TPWD, a “cause marketing” partnership was formed with Apex Clean Energy by the end of that year. Apex's $200,000 donation was matched by TDCJ, and a new roof was completed in 2024 and educational signage and fencing installed.

Logan, who leads the group "Building for Bats," had offered to purchase the building, but TDCJ wasn't interested. Still, after dedicating almost two years of her life to the bat effort, she isn't disappointed. “We accomplished what we started out to do – spread awareness and save the building," she said.

And with a change of administration, the tables may be turning. According to Huntsville City Councilmember Vicki McKenzie, “there are conversations with TDCJ about how we can partner and utilize that space to protect the bats, but also create a space around Town Creek where the proposed bat houses are, to create a nice watch area.”

But nothing concrete has been established yet. “The plans are all still plans," said McKenzie, "and the right conversations are happening with the leaders... from the city, TDCJ, and Texas Parks and Wildlife to make sure we are all moving forward in that direction to be able to define a true project.”

McKenzie, a bat advocate, said "After six years of serving on council, the one thing I have learned is that all the entities have lots of red tape to get through, so time and patience are something I’ve had to come to understand.” 

Keep hanging on

While conversations continue, there are ways coming up to support the bats.

You can witness their nightly emergence around dusk for as long as temperatures are above 50 degrees – typically, from late spring or early summer until the end of this month.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension plans to hold its third educational program, “Living With Bats,” next summer. If TDCJ ever succeeds in tearing down the building, this workshop could have practical value, as displaced bats will seek refuge anywhere they can find around town.

On October 24th, you can try to catch the bats before they go on winter break, then walk over to the Imerj Gallery for EchoFest, a fundraiser in conjunction with Huntsville LIVE, an SHSU student organization dedicated to revitalizing Huntsville's live music scene, and Bat Conservation International. The $8 cover charge will go toward bat awareness and protection efforts.

While bats have some protection in Texas, it is limited. In the last legislature, a bill requiring humane removal methods and banning exclusions during maternity season (May 1-August 31) died in committee. If TDCJ wants its new parking lot sooner than the city can work through its red tape, an eviction notice may be waiting in the wings. Get out and support the bats while there is still time to do so.

City Manager Scott Swigert, Assistant City Manager Ricardo Villagrand, TDCJ Communications Director Amanda Hernandez, and Mayor Russell Humphrey did not respond to outreaches. EchoFest takes place on Saturday, October 24th, with the doors opening at 7:30 pm and music beginning at 8 pm, at the Be Free Gallery at 1000 12th St. in Huntsville. Cover is $8.