I’m devastated to learn that the white nose fungus has hit Minnesota bats in catastrophic levels this winter, with a population loss of 30-70% in some areas. The epidemic has killed millions of bats across the country, spreading from colony to colony and disturbing bats during hibernation so they use up their energy stores and freeze. Besides being precious amazing darling creatures who we should protect no matter what, bats contribute the equivalent of billions of dollars of pest control and pollination in the US, which hints at the real costs of policy decisions and budget cuts that neglect wildlife and take their services for granted.