“We have 25 bat species in California, and the pallid bat is one of the coolest.” —Katrina Smith, State Fish & Wildlife
Dave Johnston, a wildlife ecologist from Saratoga, got the ball rolling in 2017. Johnston began campaigning for the pallid bat that year and got a Senate resolution passed in 2018, but COVID-19 stopped the progress—until a 12-year- old nature lover stepped in. Naomi D’Alessio of Los Angeles became interested in bats when she and her father Matt took a class in California bat natural history at San Francisco State University in 2022. Her mother had worked on state Sen. Caroline Menjivar’s (D-Panorama City) campaign, so Naomi, who was 12 years old in 2023, had the senator’s ear. And quicker than a bat out of hell, Menjivar joined Assemblywoman Celia Aguiar-Curry, whose 4th District encompasses most of Wine Country, in co-authoring SB 732 to grant official state recognition of Antrozous pallidus .
Meanwhile, bat enthusiasts joined others—including Helena View Vineyards in Calistoga, owned by Johnston’s brother— in writing letters of support. In January 2024, the pallid bat became California’s official state bat. “Pallid bats live in California’s deserts, oak woodlands, coastal redwood forests and high up into the pine forests of the Sierra Nevada mountains,” says a quote from SB 732, much of which was written by Naomi herself. And bats in general save farmers in California an estimated $1.3 billion per year, Johnston confirmed in a phone interview. The wildlife ecologist, who has worked as a bat consultant with wineries including RustRidge Ranch & Winery in St. Helena, says pallid bats often forage in vineyards, especially organic vineyards. The bats eat centipedes, wolf spiders and scorpions,
48 NorthBaybiz
July 2024
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