My name is Taylor Cangemi, and I recently graduated from the University of Winnipeg, Canada, with an Honours BSc in Biology degree. Since I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a “nature scientist,” and my undergraduate degree gave me the opportunity to begin turning that dream into reality. As a varsity student-athlete, I spent my summers pursuing wildlife research opportunities and have been fortunate to work with diverse species across Canada, Costa Rica, Australia, and Ecuador.

Last summer, I conducted fieldwork in New South Wales, Australia, for my honours thesis investigating how cold temperatures and humidity influence the thermoregulation and hibernation energetics of little bent-wing bats. Through these experiences, I have realized that my greatest passion lies at the intersection of rigorous science, conservation, and local collaboration. I believe research is most meaningful when it is accessible, collaborative, and ultimately useful to the communities and wildlife it is intended to serve.

This year, an exciting opportunity arose to help lead a project assessing the status and conservation needs of the Pacific sheath-tailed bat (Emballonura semicaudata) in Palau.

The Pacific sheath-tailed bat is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and has experienced substantial declines throughout its range. However, the subspecies in Palau appears to be doing considerably better than other subspecies. Despite this, surprisingly little is known about the current status, distribution, and genetic distinctiveness of Palau’s bats. We hope to change that.

Our project will combine genetic analyses, cave and roost surveys, and camera-based emergence counts to better understand where these bats occur, how their populations are doing, and how genetically distinct the Palau population may be from other populations across the Pacific. A small number of bats will also be sampled using minimally invasive wing biopsies for genetic analysis.

Beyond understanding the population itself, this work could have important conservation implications. If the Palau population is found to represent a sufficiently distinct evolutionary lineage, our findings could contribute to future taxonomic assessment and, ultimately, a conservation assessment specifically tailored to the threats and needs of this species of bat in Palau.

What excites me most about this project is that it cannot be done by one researcher alone. It will require collaboration with local researchers, conservation organizations, museums, communities, and people who know these bats and their habitats best. I hope to contribute my field research experience while also learning from the people already working to understand and protect Palau’s wildlife.

How can you help? At this stage, this project is entirely volunteer-led, and we are seeking support to make the initial fieldwork possible, as well as support a potential long-term self-sustaining monitoring program/study. I am reaching out to ask whether you, your organization, or someone within your network might be interested in supporting this work. Support could take many forms:

• Financial contributions, to help cover field travel, food, research equipment, permits, sample processing and shipment for analysis;
• Equipment donations or loans, particularly cameras and field equipment that can support bat emergence surveys;
• Research or conservation collaboration, including expertise, logistical support, or assistance with fieldwork;
• Connections and introductions, to organizations or individuals in Palau who may be interested in contributing; or
• Sharing this project with your network, to help us connect with others who may be able to support the work.

Every contribution, whether financial, logistical, scientific, or simply helping us reach the right person, would directly help make this project possible.

My personal long-term goal is to build a career in wildlife conservation that combines strong science with meaningful collaboration and public engagement. I see this project as an incredible opportunity not only to contribute to the conservation of a poorly understood species, but also to learn from the people and communities working to protect Palau’s unique biodiversity. This is the kind of experience I hope to gain as I prepare for the next stages in my academic and career paths.

If this project resonates with you, I would love to hear from you. Whether you are able to contribute funding, equipment, expertise, connections, or simply help spread the word, your support would mean a great deal.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about this project and for supporting the people working to better understand and protect wildlife in the Pacific Islands and beyond.

Taylor Cangemi

Wildlife Biologist & Researcher

taylorbcangemi@gmail.com

Calgary, Canada