Our Very Own Batcave!

Liberty can neither confirm nor deny that Batman is on the payroll.

What we can say is that if he were, the Caped Crusader would most likely operate out of our very own bat cave in Missouri.

Four years ago, we became the proud owner of 20 acres which previously served as a limestone quarry. When the quarry ceased operations, the pit flooded and a colony of bats moved into the mineshafts. Thousands (at its peak, about 50,000) of bats have made the cave home.

Purchasing the former quarry was tied to a wind project underway at the time, helping us to meet environmental compliance requirements. It also supports sustainability through the protection of a threatened species.

The bats play a key role in ecosystems by controlling insect populations and acting as pollinators.

The gray bat is found in a limited range in areas in the southeastern United States, according to the wildlife service. Hibernating populations are generally concentrated in caves across northern Alabama and Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee.

Their summer range extends east into Oklahoma, southeastern Kansas, southern Illinois and Indiana, and northwestern Georgia. They can typically be found roosting in caves, mines, quarries, storm sewers, and culverts.

The quarry site offers a unique ecosystem that supports the health and future of the endangered gray bat population in Southwest Missouri.