March Mammal Madness is an event that Mr. Batz, a teacher at Quakertown High School, brought to our school. This friendly competition between the staff and students creates a community bond throughout the school. March Mammal Madness is a simulated tournament based on biological research created by Katie Hinde. In 2013 Professor Hinde And her colleagues, at Arizona State University, produced and played the first March Mammal Madness bracket. Hindle earned a BA and Ph.D. in Anthropology, and was a postdoctoral scholar in Neuroscience, Mind, and Behavior Unit. and served as an Assistant Professor in Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. The first of many battles between 64 mammals occurs on March 13th. These encounters are unpredictable because the simulation is based on the biological habits of the animals. The biological habits of animals may not be what you expect. For instance, in the first battle of 2023, the Bumblebee Bat got blown by the wind causing the Shrew Mole to freeze in fear and then wake up and run off the battlefield. Leaving the winner to be the Bumblebee BatOther outcomes could be an animal  MMM brings fun and excitement into March!

In Quakertown Community High School many students and staff participate in this friendly competition throughout the month of March. Mr. Batz, the teacher who runs MMM in our school, believes MMM helps build the school community and he “hopes that over the years it continues to grow with more involvement.” There is a large bracket in the upper c hall to draw attention and questions from students. Mr.Batz also states “I brought March Mammal Madness to Quakertown because it has been going on for years and has grown tremendously. It is a way to get kids excited and learn about more species” March Mammal Madness brings the school community together with an enjoyable competitive aspect. Although some wins and losses may be questionable, that is the fun of it. 

The March Mammal Madness bracket is split into 4 groups. These groups include Mighty Stripes, Animal Engineers, Itty Bitty Comeback City, and Dad Bods. This bracket includes many animals, not just mammals, but this is because the co-organizers are not mammalogists. The co-organizers, Chris Anderson and Josh Drew, are entomologists and marine biologists. These scientists add the advantage of a wider selection of animals to expand education and fun. Luckily, this competition is an annual event and the 2024 bracket is just around the corner!