Kootenay Community Bat Project

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

Go Fund Me Canada - BC Bats Need Your Help.

The BC Community Bat Program - also known as BC BATS (www.bcbats.ca) - is a grant funded program which started in 2014 that raises awareness of bats and helps conserve bat populations. They run the only long-term bat population monitoring program in BC. The BC Conservation Foundation administers the grants and funds for this program.

Our four main activities are:
1. BC Annual Bat Counts
2. Bat-friendly Communities
3. White-nose syndrome (WNS) Surveillance
4. Toll Free Bat Call Line and Public Relations

BC BATS consists of 19 regions across BC, run by dedicated partners and bat enthusiasts. This year, BC BATS needs your help to support their important work. The results of our usual grants have not been announced yet, resulting in a lack of funding during our critical BC Annual Bat Count season. This is a crucial time for bat conservation as the fungus that causes WNS was detected in Delta only 12 km from two large maternity roosts. This fungus, affecting bats only, can wipe out bat populations in just a few years.

Bats are very important wildlife and play key roles in our ecosystems. Despite their importance, bats are often overlooked, misunderstood and feared. Bats face numerous threats, including intentional killing every year as they are thought of as pests. BC bat populations are threatened, with 9 of the 15 bat species listed in BC.

Work conducted by BC BATS is more important now and in the next few years as the fungus begins to spread across the province. All funds donated will support important bat work such as organizing Annual Bat Counts, responding to calls about bats, providing bat outreach, working with municipalities, and training Bat Ambassadors. With your support we can help protect bats across BC and strive to save these important animals before it is too late. All donations are tax deductible.

We would love your support. Please share far and wide!
https://gofund.me/9892b3492

06/04/2026

Here's another species of bat native to the Kootenays, Townsend's Big-Earred Bat!
These guys love to roost in caves or buildings, but unlike other species of bats, they prefer to be out in the open rather than tucked away in crevices!

---
Sources:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/pesticides-and-pest-management/managing-pests/bats/kcbp_bats.pdf
https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/townsends-bats.htm

Map: Cephus
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corynorhinus_townsendii_map.svg

06/04/2026

Here's another bat native to the Kootenay region, Townsend's Big-Earred Bat! 🦇
These guys love to roost in caves, and in buildings, but unlike other species of bats, they prefer being out in the open compared to tucked away in crevices.

---

Sources:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/pesticides-and-pest-management/managing-pests/bats/kcbp_bats.pdf
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/species-ecosystems-at-risk/brochures/townsends_big_eared_bat.pdf
https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/townsends-bats.htm
https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/2023/03/19/the-gentle-curious-townsends-big-eared-bat/

Image Credits:
Ann Froschauer/USFWS
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Townsends_big-eared_bat_(6009182505).jpg
Cephas
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corynorhinus_townsendii_map.svg
Hajenga Jeff, USFWS
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cluster_of_healthy_virginia_big_eared_bats_corynorhinus_townsendii.jpg

06/03/2026

Another species native to the Kootenay Region, Townsend's Big-Earred Bat! 🦇

---
Image Credits:
Ann Froschauer, USFWS
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Townsends_big-eared_bat_(6009182505).jpg
Cephas
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corynorhinus_townsendii_map.svg
Hajenga Jeff, USFWS
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cluster_of_healthy_virginia_big_eared_bats_corynorhinus_townsendii.jpg

Sources:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/pesticides-and-pest-management/managing-pests/bats/kcbp_bats.pdf
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/species-ecosystems-at-risk/brochures/townsends_big_eared_bat.pdf
https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/townsends-bats.htm
https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/2023/03/19/the-gentle-curious-townsends-big-eared-bat/

06/03/2026

Townsend's Big-Earred Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) is another awesome species local to the Kootenays!🦇
These little guys also love to roost in buildings, though they prefer to be more out in the open, rather than cozied up in the crevices of buildings.

---
Sources:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/pesticides-and-pest-management/managing-pests/bats/kcbp_bats.pdf
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/species-ecosystems-at-risk/brochures/townsends_big_eared_bat.pdf
https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/townsends-bats.htm
https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/2023/03/19/the-gentle-curious-townsends-big-eared-bat/

Image Credits:
Ann Froschauer/USFWS
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Townsends_big-eared_bat_(6009182505).jpg
Cephas
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corynorhinus_townsendii_map.svg
Hajenga Jeff (USFWS)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cluster_of_healthy_virginia_big_eared_bats_corynorhinus_townsendii.jpg

06/02/2026

Happy 15th Annual Bat Count! 🤩 It's time to head out in the evenings to count bats as they emerge from their roost sites. The counts are done at maternity colonies across BC found in buildings, barns, bat boxes, bat condos, and under bridges starting at sunset.
🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

😍Between June 1 - 21st, we encourage two bat counts at each roost site. This is a count of all the females.

😍Between July 11 - August 5th, we encourage two more bat counts at each roost site. This is a count of all the females and the pups that are now learning to fly.

Where are the males? They mostly roost by themselves in trees, rock cliffs, or out in the open on buildings and are not found in the maternity colonies that we count.

🦇If you would like to get involved, please visit https://bcbats.ca/get-involved/counting-bats/.

👍If you would like to support our efforts with a donation, please visit https://www.bccf.com/donate/ and choose BC Community Bat Program in the dropdown menu!

05/14/2026

Want to learn a little bit more about the bats native to the Kootenay Region? 🦇
Introducing the little brown bat! One of the most common bats in our area, you'll often spot these little guys roosting on the sides of buildings!

---
Sources:
https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/nl/terranova/nature/eep-sar/bat
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/14176/208031565
https://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Myotis_lucifugus/

Image Credits:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White-nose_syndrome_growth_in_Myotis_lucifugus.JPG

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Myotis_lucifugus_map.svg

05/11/2026

International Bat Appreciation Day is next week, Friday April 17th. This is a great time to tell people about the importance of bats and how they need our help. Also, a great time to remind people to report dead bats and bat roosts with the Community Bat Programs of BC, bcbats.ca.

Several bat events for the public will be taking place April to October. Stop by to learn about local bats. Events are free but you must register with the municipality. Here are some upcoming events:

Delta: Thursday April 16th, 630-9pm, Bat talk and Walk, George MacKie Library. https://www.delta.ca/community-culture/happening-delta/events-calendar/lets-celebrate-international-bat-appreciation-day

Richmond: Saturday April 18, 10am-4pm, bat booth, Richmond Nature Park

Vancouver: Saturday April 18, 11am-4pm, bat booth, as part of Stanley Park's Earth Day Event

Burnaby: Sunday May 3, 2-3pm, Gardening for bats presentation, as part of the Burnaby Blooms Festival

Richmond: Saturday June 13th, 815-1015p, Bat talk and Walk, Terra Nova Rural Park Farm Centre, see attached poster to register

More events to come.

05/08/2026

Happy 100th birthday to David Attenborough!
Check out this clip of David Attenborough and Underwood's long-tongued bat. Native to Central America, this bat has a mutualistic relationship with a flower that blooms for only 7 hours. However, not all mutualistic relationships are equal! 🦇🌸🌺

27K likes, 1.3K comments. "Sir David Attenborough Witnesses a Magical Moment | The Green Planet | BBC Earth"