University of Cincinnati
11/05/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/05/2025 16:20
The bats came back
The bats came back
UC bat researchers help Great Parks renovate barn for bats and people
By Angela Koenig Email AngelaEmail Angela 513-558-4625
3 minute read November 5, 2025 Share on facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike
University of Cincinnati bat researchers are assisting Great Parks of Hamilton County in the renovation of an 1880s barn at Shaker Trace Seed Nursery in Harrison, Ohio, so bats and people can coexist.
An article in The Cincinnati Enquirer explains the project, in which park officials teamed up with UC bat researchers to create bat- and people-friendly spaces.
"We helped Great Parks ensure that the designs for the renovated building would have the greatest chance of allowing bats and people to coexist in the barn," says Joe Johnson, a biologist and information technologist who leads bat research at UC.
Tagged bats in a roost in Ohio. Photo/Joe Johnson.
Johnson, an assistant professor in UC's School of Information Technology, and his graduate students worked to identify features and roost areas important to big brown bats, preserving those while meeting the park's educational goals. The school is housed within UC's College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services, where Johnson's information technology research seminar students also designed a research survey for visitors and a system that lets them learn about bats in the barn.
Johnson's broader research combines ecology and information technology. He studies imperiled bat species such as the little brown myotis, uses environmental sensors to monitor animal populations, and devises strategies to mitigate threats such as the fungal disease white-nose syndrome, which has decimated bat colonies. He also leads projects using smart infrastructure and cloud-based modeling to integrate biology, conservation and technology.
Great Parks renovated the barn to host school groups and conservation events while ensuring bats could return this spring amid ongoing construction. A dedicated space above the restrooms and custom bat boxes were installed. Infrared cameras and dusk counts monitor the bats, with temperature and light level tracking.
Janet Murray, chief of planning for Great Parks, said seeing the bats return during construction sparked "so much joy and pride" in the team. The renovated barn is expected to host children's groups and offer an interactive way for visitors to learn about local wildlife.
Read The Enquirer article. (The Enquirer is a subscription publication. If you would like a pdf of the article, please email [email protected].)
Read more about Johnson's reserach on msn.com: Researchers explain why everyone should care about bats.
Featured image at top of bats hanging in a barn: iStock Photo/Dennis Laughlin.
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University of Cincinnati published this content on November 05, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 05, 2025 at 22:21 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]