Bat houses added to National Road Bikeway

PRESS RELEASE

DATE: April 11, 2018
FROM: James Zucal, Director of Safety and Public Services, City of St. Clairsville
SUBJECT: Bat houses added to National Road Bikeway
RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

TEAMWORK IN THE SERVICE OF EDUCATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

This week the City of St. Clairsville’s Electric Department and the Belmont County Soil and Water Conservation District collaborated to add two new bat houses to the City’s National Road Bikeway. Mayor Terry Pugh offered his appreciation to the Soil and Water Conservation District staff for the bat house programming and this lasting addition to the Bikeway.

The bat houses were hung between the gazebo, located at the midpoint of the 2 ½ mile National Road Bikeway, and the Bikeway’s rail tunnel to the north. The bat house project was coordinated by Liza Butler, the Administrator / Wildlife and Forestry Specialist of the local office of the Soil and Water Conservation District.

The photo below shows local school children observing the bat house installation in fulfillment of the Youth Educational Programs mission of the Soil and Water Conservation District. The children learned about the many contributions of bats to the environment and the importance of this new habitat option.

The above photo shows the City’s Electric Department crew member Nathan Teater installing one of the bat houses adjacent to the National Road Bikeway.

The National Road Bikeway is available to residents for their recreational and educational needs during daylight hours only.