White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease affecting hibernating bats in at least 29 states and 5 Canadian provinces. Despite extensive press coverage of the disease and devastation to bats caused by WNS, bats are still widely perceived by the public to be dangerous. To help change the negative perceptions and shed light on the benefits bats provide to ecosystem health, the Save Lucy Campaign was developed to provide information and educational resources targeted at youth.

First documented in New York in the winter of 2006-2007, WNS has spread rapidly across the eastern United States and Canada. The fungus that causes WNS has now been detected as far south as Mississippi and more recently in Washington State. There is high mortality associated with the disease and it is beginning to have a significant impact on bat populations across the country. However, the general public still tends to have limited knowledge of the importance of bats let alone the threats that are facing them.

In 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made funds available to support research and communications needs outlined in the White-Nose Syndrome National Plan. The White-Nose Syndrome Small Grants Program has dedicated up to $250,000 to address priority research and communications needs to advance conservation efforts of bats and to manage White-Nose Syndrome. The Save Lucy Campaign received a WNS Small Grant to produce a series of online educational videos.

This spring, the campaign released three short animations and flipbooks with cartoon-style bat characters educate and inform through positive, funny, and engaging story lines. The videos and flipbooks are embedded on the Save Lucy Campaign's website, where they are free for public use. The bat characters are kid friendly and endearing, and encourage more questions about bats that can be explored on the Save Lucy website. (mg)