With the help of a $1,700 sustainability grant from the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Sustainability Committee, Epperson and Dr. Ian Clifton, Epperson鈥檚 faculty advisor, installed 20 bat boxes along Coleman Creek and 10 owl boxes across the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock campus.

鈥淏ats and owls are a natural solution to pest control,鈥� said Epperson, a Little Rock native who graduates this August. 鈥淏ats help control insect populations like mosquitoes, while owls help reduce rodents. This project encourages biodiversity and reduces our reliance on chemicals.鈥�

Epperson developed the project under the guidance of Clifton, a biology professor who specializes in ecology. The initiative was inspired by Epperson鈥檚 interest in sustainability and their desire to support Arkansas wildlife in urban environments, where habitat loss has impacted native species.

鈥淎s we build more homes and remove trees, bats lose their natural roosting sites,鈥� Clifton said. 鈥淎dding safe, artificial roosts like these boxes is one way we can support bat populations, which have been steadily declining across the country.鈥�

Originally intended as a native plant project along Coleman Creek, Epperson shifted focus after learning how bats use the creek as a navigational tool. They worked with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Facilities Management employees to select optimal locations for the boxes and received logistical support during installation.

All 20 bat boxes were placed along the creek, where insect populations are high and bats are likely to roost. The 10 owl boxes, designed for screech owls, were spread across campus, including locations like the Campus Garden, to help manage rodent populations.

The project is also designed with long-term research in mind. Epperson developed protocols for monitoring the bat boxes. Biology students will be able to use the boxes to monitor bat populations for diseases and track species diversity.

鈥淭his gives us a lot of opportunities for student-led research,鈥� Clifton said. 鈥淲e can monitor bat health and activity through non-invasive methods and potentially tie that into broader conservation efforts, especially as discussions about rewilding Coleman Creek continue.鈥�

Epperson, who was one of four recipients to receive a sustainability grant during the 2024-25 school year, said the project has been a valuable learning experience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been more challenging than I expected, but I鈥檓 proud of what we accomplished,鈥� Epperson said. 鈥淚 hope it inspires others to pursue projects that make a difference for our environment.鈥�

Although they won鈥檛 be on campus in the fall, Epperson is glad to know the work will continue.

鈥淚鈥檒l be there in spirit,鈥� Epperson said. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to see this project grow and become a foundation for even more research and conservation work at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.鈥�

People who are interested in building their own bat boxes can visit this article from .

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Dr. John Czarnecki, an adjunct professor of geology who started teaching at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2013 after retiring from a 34-year-career with the U.S. Geological Survey, installed the trash boom on the north side of campus at the beginning of the fall semester.

The project, funded by a grant from the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Sustainability Committee, aims to enhance the environmental health of Coleman Creek while promoting long-term campus sustainability efforts.

Rain water pushes debris from streets, lots, and backyards into Coleman Creek, a tributary of Fourche Creek. This trash and debris can end up in parks, wetlands, forests, and eventually the Arkansas River. A trash boom can help stop the spread of trash and debris by catching and holding debris, branches, leaves, and other trash materials. Volunteers clear out what鈥檚 collected once a month and after heavy rains.

鈥淭he trash that we see in Coleman Creek often comes from the street since our storm system is designed to send water from the street directly into the streams,鈥� Czarnecki said. 鈥淎s a result, all kinds of things end up in Coleman Creek that shouldn鈥檛 be there. Installing a trash boom is a good solution to prevent more trash and debris from spreading further downstream.鈥�

This isn鈥檛 the first trash boom Czarnecki has built or even the first sustainability grant project he鈥檚 been a part of. Five years ago, he received a sustainability grant to place metal mesh barriers on four storm drains on campus to prevent trash build up.

鈥淭his was a very low-cost project to show that you can retrofit storm drains to prevent the build up of trash and other debris,鈥� Czarnecki said. 鈥淭his got me involved in trash prevention and cleaning up in our streams.鈥�

Czarnecki has been involved with the Friends of Fourche Creek and Audubon Arkansas to help clean Arkansas鈥檚 waterways. In 2022, he created a trash boom for the Rose Creek Initiative, a group of volunteers who keep Rose Creek Park clean. He built a trash boom, which served as an inspiration for the one at Coleman Creek, and installed it at Rose Creek, where volunteers collect the trash once a month.

The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Sustainability Committee is accepting applications for innovative sustainability-related projects like Czarnecki鈥檚 trash boom for the 2024-25 year. Grants of up to $2,500 will be awarded. The submission deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11.
All full- and part-time faculty, instructors, students, and staff may apply by .

For more information, email Kyungsun Lee at klee1@ualr.edu.

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