Bats (the furry, night flying, bug eating kind) are in trouble from a strange, unknown disease. Scientists don't know how it spreads, but to protect bats, the Forest Service is closing access to caves all around the eastern US.
The reason I mention this is that the parallels to firewood as a vector for the spread of disease are powerful. Cavers, who have equipment and clothing that they take from cave to cave, might be inadvertantly spreading this terrible bat killing disease. Just like firewood isn't a problem- moving firewood is the problem- the cavers only pose a risk to the animals that live in caves when they potentially transfer diseased dirt, water, rocks, dust, etc from cave to cave.
In both cases, the idea is that the human-caused movement of infested materials threatens native species. In the case of the bats, nobody is sure that this is the exact issue, but the dangers are so great that action must be taken. So please- don't go caving this year to protect our native bats, and remember- don't move firewood to protect our treasured trees.
Read more about the diseased bats here at NYTimes
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