Bat Research on Ruffner

For the past few months, Ruffner Mountain has been, and will continue to be, a site for research conducted by Bat Conservation International (BCI) in conjunction with the United States Forest Service, Northern Arizona and the University of Winnipeg. This study is currently testing treatment options in mines that have tested positive for White-nose Syndrome (WNS) - a fungal disease that is devastating bat populations in North America.

This study, along with BCI. and their partners, have recently been announced as one of the recipients of the Bats for the Future Fund 2018 - a grant funded by The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Avangrid and Southern Company.

Ruffner wishes Bat Conservation International, Inc., their partners, and all of the recipients of the Bats for the Future Fund success in their endeavors.

We will keep everyone posted as the results of this study emerges. In the meantime, consider donating or becoming a member of Ruffner. You are not just helping a beautiful greenspace remain open -you are also supporting a location for groundbreaking research.

Nick Sharp of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with the Bat Conservation International subterranean research team and Ruffner staff

Nick Sharp of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with the Bat Conservation International subterranean research team and Ruffner staff

Happy Labor Day!

Ruffner's Nature Center will be open Monday, September 3rd for Labor Day. Stop by to say hello! Our trails, as always, are open from dawn to dusk. There will be no yoga at Ruffner Monday evening.

At Ruffner, we encourage everyone to get outside this Labor Day, whether it is at Red Mountain Park, Railroad Park, Vulcan Park and Museum, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, right here at Ruffner, or any green space you enjoy in our area. (Just make sure to check their hours of operation before you go!) 

If you love a green space, no matter who it may be, make sure to support it if you can. Every little bit helps.

Happy Labor Day!

Thank you for supporting the nocturnal world at Night Festival.

We appreciate all of our artists, musicians, vendors, board members, staff and volunteers who help to make Night Festival a success. A full recap can be found on our website at a later date, as well as our September 2018 newsletter. To recuperate and tidy up, the Nature Center will be closed Tuesday, July 24th, though our trails will be open from dawn to dusk. Artwork will be up at the Nature Center and available for purchase during the next few weeks. 

It is through individual donations and memberships that Ruffner can continue providing unique educational events such as Night Festival to the public for no entry fee. Please continue to support Ruffner by clicking here. We also ask that if you enjoy all of the green spaces Jefferson County has to offer, please consider supporting our neighbor and friend Turkey Creek Nature Preserve. More information can be found on our support page.

Thank you to Bob Farley for permission to use the following photographs:

What happens in wetlands while we sleep?

Night Fest Post.jpg

Summer nights in Alabama are hot and sticky and our wetlands are teeming with activity. Frogs and toads that hide during the day come out to call for mates and lay eggs. The females will select the males with the most energetic calls. Beavers are toiling on their lodges, voles and mice are scurrying around picking up insects near the water. It's a world of stealthy hunting and loud breeding.

Alabama has 3.6 million acres of freshwater wetlands across the state. It is home to some of the most biologically diverse freshwater systems in the world.

Wetlands are worth protecting. #nocturnalecology

https://ruffnermountain.org/whatsgoingon/nightfestival

"Tree Frog" by Tracie Noles-Ross

1214 81st Street South, Birmingham, AL 35206 | 205.833.8264 info@ruffnermountain.org