Bat Housing for DU Pollinators Club

Teaching Professor, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Advisor to the DU Pollinators Club

Julie Morris came to the Innovation Labs in 2019 with a major project intended to address declining bat populations. “We were looking for something to do for Earth Day, and the club wanted to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity in urban environments,” Morris said. “Bats are important insect eaters, and bat boxes are one way to help combat their population decline.”

Morris praised the Labs’ staff and equipment for helping bring their idea to life. “Thaddeus and the team at the Innovation Labs were essential for the research and design of our bat boxes.” Since the bat box project, Morris has integrated the Innovation Labs’ resources into her other on-campus projects. “We have used the Woods Labs’ resources for the Community Garden,” Morris said. “All of our grad student leads attend the Labs’ woodworking workshop. It has become a regular part of our operations.”

Morris believes the Innovation Labs are a valuable, but underutilized, resource on DU’s campus. “A lot of people don’t even know we have a woodshop,” she said. “Even if they do, they think, ‘I don’t know how to use a woodshop. I wouldn’t know where to start!’”

Morris has found that once her students take the workshop and learn the ropes of the Woods Lab, they both enjoy the experience and expand their skill sets. “I’ve found with my grad students, once they get into it, they get excited about it,” she said. “It’s a great space for creativity, for community-building, innovation—all sorts of skills that are useful in the real world.”