Editor’s note: Featured banner photo above by Ann Froschauer/USFWS.

It’s not easy being a Myotis sodalis, or the Indiana bat.

In addition to facing threats from habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change, bat populations are also dwindling due to the spread of white-nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease. And because they have low reproductive rates and females typically only give birth to one pup per year, Indiana bat populations recover slowly after periods of decline.

Perhaps that’s why Indiana bats “hang” together by forming dense clusters when they hibernate, a term known as “Sodalis,” or social.

As it turns out, the largest population of these endangered bats have found a supportive community in Hannibal, Missouri.

When scientists discovered that a former limestone mine and cave system in Hannibal had become home to hundreds of thousands of Indiana bats (about one third of all remaining Indiana bats), they worked with The Conservation Fund to establish Sodalis Nature Preserve, a 200-acre preserve that protects this important bat habitat.

“Sodalis” is a fitting name for the preserve, said Mary Lynne Richards, recreation supervisor for Hannibal Parks & Recreation, since the 200-acre park is now the second largest in the Hannibal parks system and has become a community gathering spot for bats and people alike.

“Sodalis Nature Preserve has not only added many trails and opportunities for recreation, such as hiking, running and biking, but is also a hands-on environmental education lab,” Richards said.

Gates at each of the mine’s 34 entrances allow the bats to come and go, while also keeping people out. Bat enthusiasts will still find plenty of ways to learn more about their nocturnal neighbors, however.

From March through November, visitors can join Hannibal Parks & Recreation for Night Hikes through the preserve. Led by nature educators, participants can watch as bats fly in and out of the gate openings. Both 5K and 10K runs are often held on the trails. Children trick-or-treat in the park for the annual Halloween Boo Bash.

“We have many nature programs that teach residents how to preserve the forests, wetlands and caves where bats roost and forage and hibernate,” Richards said.

Outreach, education and special events have all helped foster a sense of caring for the endangered bats within the Hannibal community. The local high school hosts citizen science projects to help monitor their population and habitats.

“Indiana bats are ecologically important for insect control and forest ecosystem health,” Richards said. “Northeast Missouri has a lot of farmland, so protecting bat habitats helps everyone.”

Sodalis Nature Preserve is located at 819 Ely St., Hannibal, MO.

Kathryn Deters McDonald is a Missouri native, writer, author and lover of all things spooky, ooky and eerie. Salem, Shmalem. It’s all right here in The Spook-Me State.