Another way to help: count bats
By Rossland Telegraph
Volunteers are needed to help the flooded-out residents of Grand Forks. The Trail and District Chamber of Commerce is appealing to local businesses to send some employees to Grand Forks for a few hours to assist. Sandbagging efforts are winding down, but clean-up crews are needed. For people who would like to make a positive difference in our local world, but for whom the clean-up efforts may be too demanding, here's another way to help: just count bats. Too little is known about Kootenay bat populations, and bats are important to our ecosystems — and our comfort: they eat insects. Lots of insects!
To learn more about why we need people to count bats, and how to get involved, read this press release from the Kootenay Community Bat Project:
The Kootenay Community Bat Program (KCBP) is seeking volunteers and bat colonies for the Annual Bat Count. This citizen-science initiative encourages residents to count bats at local roost sites. “Bat counts are a wonderful way for residents to get involved in collecting important scientific information” says biologist Mandy Kellner, coordinator of the BC Community Bat Program. “No special skills are needed, you can be any age, and you can relax in a deck chair while counting.”
The Annual Bat Count will collect baseline data on bat populations before the devastating White Nose Syndrome fungal disease affects bats in the province. “White Nose Syndrome is estimated to have killed more than seven million bats since it was first discovered in eastern North America a decade ago,” says Leigh Anne Isaac, coordinating biologist of the KCBP. “In March 2016, the disease was detected just east of Seattle, and has now spread within Washington State. This has greatly increased our urgency to understand bat populations in BC. We need the public’s help to census local bat populations – we never know when it is our last year to obtain population estimates before White Nose Syndrome causes widespread declines in western North America.”
Counts are easy – volunteers wait outside a known roost site, such as a bat-house, barn, bridge or attic, and count bats as they fly out at twilight. They record the final number along with basic information on weather conditions. Ideally, 1 – 2 counts are done between June 1 and 21 before pups are born, and 1 – 2 more between July 11 and August 5 when pups are flying.
“We know relatively little about bats in the Kootenay region, including basic information on population numbers” says Isaac. “This information will be extremely valuable, particularly if it is collected annually. If people want to get involved but don’t have a roost site on their property, we will try to match them with a roost site nearby.”
Funded by the Columbia Basin Trust, Regional District of the East and Central Kootenay, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, and with support of the BC Conservation Foundation and the Province of BC, the KCBP provides information for people dealing with bat issues on their property or who have questions about how to attract bats. To find out more about bat counts, or to get assistance dealing with bat issues, visit www.bcbats.ca or call 1-855-9BC-BATS.
Townsend's Big-eared Bat (bleow) is one species that could be seen in our region. Photo by S. Laughlin.
