There are at least 11 species of bats in the Kootenays including vulnerable and threatened species like the Townsend’s big-eared bat, fringed bat, northern myotis and little brown myotis.
The Kootenay Community Bat Project (KCBP) is partnering with Wildsight to host a public bat mist-netting night at the Wasa Community Hall next Saturday, June 22 at 9 pm for residents to come and see bat biologists in action. Biologists from the KCBP will be catching bats by setting up thin mist (volley-ball type) nets at dusk.
“The bats accidentally fly into the nets and get tangled, giving us an opportunity to gently remove them and determine their species, sex and other characteristics” say Juliet Craig, Coordinating Biologist of the KCBP. “There are approximately 10 species of bats present in this area and mist-netting provides an opportunity to see some of these species up close.”
The evening will kick-off with a fun and entertaining interpretive program “Cool Facts About Bats” at 9 pm that is great for all ages. Bring a flashlight and good walking shoes for the event.
“We are excited to host this event” says Dean Chatterson, Director of Wildsight. “Our organization focuses on working to protect biodiversity and this is a great way to raise awareness about the importance of bats in our ecosystems.”
Funded by the Columbia Basin Trust, the Kootenay Community Bat Project is a local initiative for bat conservation. The project aims to raise awareness about bats, identify bat species present in the Kootenays, and support landowners who have bats living in their buildings. Residents are encouraged to contribute to this project by reporting bats roosting (living) on their property.
To find out more or to report your bats, go to www.kootenaybats.com or contact the KCBP at 1-855-9BC-BATS orkootenaybats@gmail.com.
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