Kootenay Community Bat Project

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!

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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"

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 species forms a mutalistic relationship with a flower that blooms for only 7 hours. However, not all mutualistic relationships are equal!

Bats must visit hundreds of seven-hour flowers each night.

05/08/2026

Happy 100th birthday to David Attenborough! 🥳
Check out this clip of David Attenborough with the underwood bat! Native to Central America, the video shows the bat pollinating a flower, and explains how mutualistic relationships between organisms are not always fair! 🦇🌸

Bats must visit hundreds of seven-hour flowers each night.

05/05/2026

🦇 Support Bat Conservation in BC! 🦇

Bats need our help more than ever. With the fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome now detected in parts of BC, monitoring and conservation efforts are critical to protect our local bat populations.

The Community Bat Programs of BC work with homeowners, landowners, and communities to:
• Monitor bat populations
• Provide education and outreach
• Support safe and effective solutions for living with bats

💛 How to donate:
We’re not able to accept direct donations. Instead, all donations go through the BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF), which administers funds on behalf of our program.

📲 Please use the QR code below to donate through the BCCF website
➡️ Important: Be sure to specify that your donation is for the BC Community Bat Program (and your region, if applicable)

Every contribution helps us better understand and protect bats before it’s too late.

Thank you for supporting bat conservation! 🦇

04/14/2026

🦇 Bat Volunteers Wanted – Nelson Area! 🦇

The Kootenay Community Bat Project is looking for volunteers to take part in the BC Annual Bat Count!

This citizen science program helps monitor bat populations at roost sites like barns, old buildings, and even occupied homes. These sites are especially important as summer homes for female bats and their pups. With the spread of White-nose Syndrome, monitoring these maternity colonies is more important than ever.

👉 Interested? Join our Bat Count Training!
📍 United Church (Fairview Room), Nelson
📅 May 6th
🕡 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

The session will cover:
• Bat basics
• How and when to count bats
• Data collection and submission
• What to expect during a count

🌙 After the session, there will be an optional live bat count on Baker Street (8:15–9:00 PM)!

🍵 Snacks and tea will be provided.

If you’d like to attend, please email: [email protected]

Feel free to share this with other bat enthusiasts—hope to see you there! 🦇

03/03/2026

🦇 Looking for Maternity Bat Colonies — Salmo & Trail

We are looking for property owners in the Salmo and Trail areas who have a maternity bat colony on their property and would be willing to allow someone to collect small samples of fresh spring guano for White-nose syndrome surveillance.

This work helps monitor bat health in British Columbia and supports early detection efforts. The process is non-invasive and will be done by trained personnel.

If you are interested in helping or would like more information, please send us an email at [email protected]. Thank you for supporting bat conservation!

02/16/2026

02/05/2026

Fun bat fact! 🦇
Did you know that the Ussurian Tube-Nosed bat spend their winters sleeping in cavities in snow banks. The only other species of mammal known to do this are polar bears!