Citizen science is a great hands-on learning tool to get children and youth involved in real science. In June, July and August, youth can get involved with evening bat counts and submit data that will help scientists to monitor bat populations. Youth also learn new things about the nocturnal world around them. At other times of the year, youth can be involved with the stewardship component by learning how to improve important bat habitat. Youth can also be empowered to help bats by raising awareness and telling others about the importance of bats.
Our Bat Program ran from 2019-2020 during which time we invited families, clubs and schools to learn about and get involved with bat citizen science through four different bat-themed Explorer Days:
- Be a Bat Buddy – Meet the bats
- Be a Bat Detective – Do a bat count
- Be a Bat Bestie – Take environmental stewardship action
- Be a Bat Champion – Help raise awareness about bats
The different bat themes engaged kids in different activities and each of the level could be done individually or in combination. All of the resources and activities can be found below. Lots of great ideas to help bats. They can be done with your family, your class, with friends and more.
Bats are important. Come nightfall, one of British Columbia’s most important predators wakes up and takes flight. Bats hunt insects and in doing so, become superheroes. Bats save forests, agricultural crops, orchards, and people from insect pests. The organic pest control that bats provide is estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually to the North American economy.
There are at least 15 species of bats in BC. Many of them are among the most common wildlife in our communities, but being nocturnal and secretive, are hardly ever seen.
Bats are in trouble. Most bats give birth to just one pup per year, and only about half of those young make it through their first winter. This low reproductive and survival rate means that bat are especially vulnerable to habitat loss, predation to cats, collisions with wind turbines and vehicles, as well as entrapment and extermination. Most recently, white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that was introduced to North America, has been killing millions of bats in eastern North America. Scientists are on the lookout for this disease in BC.
Bats need our help. Due to these threats, many bat species are being closely monitored in order to help set conservation priorities. The pallid bat (Antronzus pallidus) for example is currently listed as “endangered species” (Red listed). Thanks to recent efforts, little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) has moved up a rank and is now ategorized as a “secured species” (Yellow listed). The northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) and the spotted bat (Euderma maculatum) are also no longer endangered, but they are still species of “special concern” (Blue listed).
DOWNLOAD RESOURCES TO GET STARTED
To make it easy for you to get involved with this project, we have created some tools and resources:
- Introduction to bat citizen science project
- Bat ID cards
- Be a Bat Buddy – Meet the Bats
- Bat Detective – Bat count instructions & Bat count data sheet
- Bat Bestie – Habitat stewardship & Build bat homes
- Bat Champion – Advocate for bats
- NatureWILD Magazine with bat articles
NatureKids BC will be running Bat Explorer Days through our family clubs across BC (check upcoming events – link), but you are also welcome to create your own event with your friends, family, or class.
We welcome questions and suggestions for improving this program. Please contact us at info@naturekidsbc.ca. We’d also love to hear about your experience with this bat citizen science program on social media – please tag us! Click here to follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
We are very grateful to our supporters: