Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project

02/16/2026

Spotted a bat on a cold winter day? Your report could help protect BC's bats from a deadly fungal disease. From now until May, Sunshine Coast residents are asked to please report any bat sightings or dead bats to [email protected] or 604-989-1007.

Spotted a bat on a cold winter day? Your report could help protect B.C.’s bats from a deadly fungal disease. White-nose Syndrome (WNS) poses a serious threat to local bats and biologists need the community’s help tracking its spread.

10/30/2024

The last chance to order a cool bat shirt or hoodie is October 31st. 100% of proceeds go to the BC Community Bat Programs! Support bat conservation and look great doing it!

07/03/2024

Help Support Bat Conservation And Look Great Doing It! The BC Community Bat Program is having a fundraiser. Order one of three beautiful styles of shirts designed by bat-loving BC artists. Visit bcbats.ca/store

03/11/2024

Reminder to everyone on the Sunshine Coast that spring is vital time for White-nose Syndrome surveillance. If you have found, or have seen, a dead bat, please contact the Wildlife Project by emailing [email protected] or phoning or texting 604-989-1007.

Local bats are threatened by disease and local biologists are asking the community for help.

10/27/2023

Happy Day 3 of International Bat Week! Some documentaries about bats that you can enjoy watching online include:

Bizarre Bat Moments (BBC Earth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh6xz50iGeQ

The Truth About Bats (by Emily Stanford)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW--eOLOrq0

Flying Fox Fairytale (Natural History Channel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6dOBB9SXbA

Bats are mysterious and often misunderstood creatures, so here are some of our favourite moments. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/BBCEarthSub Watch more: Planet Ear...

10/26/2023

Happy Day 2 of International Bat Week! This week we are sharing some of our favourite books, videos, and online resources about bats! For younger readers, some bewitching books about bats and bat scientists include:

Amara and the Bats (by Emma Reynolds)
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55710827

The Bat (by Elise Gravel)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45865918-the-bat

The Bat Book: Afraid of a Bat? What's up with That? (by Conrad Storad)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27818912-the-bat-book

Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story (by Anna Forrester)
https://www.arbordalepublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=BatCount

A Place for Bats (by Melissa Stewart)
https://www.goodreads.com/.../show/13493423-a-place-for-bats

The Bat Scientists (by Mary Kay Carson)
https://www.goodreads.com/.../8230678-the-bat-scientists

Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night (by Rob Laidlaw)
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/37823425-bat-citizens

Environmental activism gets a nocturnal twist in this u…

10/24/2023

Happy Bat Week.! It's time to celebrate our furry night flying friends. October 24 - 31st, 2023. To learn more about bats and how you can help them, please visit www.bcbats.ca and www.batweek.org

06/02/2023

Report Bat Roosts and Participate in the Annual BC Bat Count!
June 1 to 21 marks the first counting period of the Annual BC Bat Count. This important citizen science initiative helps monitor bat populations by counting bats as they emerge at sunset from known roosts. As natural roosting habitat has become scarce, more bats have adapted to live in close proximity to humans in sites like attics, roofs, siding, eaves, or manmade bat boxes. If you have roosting bats or would like to volunteer with counts, please contact the Wildlife Project by emailing [email protected] or calling or texting 604-989-1007.
Bat Count data help biologists understand bat species distribution and monitor for impacts of the devastating bat disease called white-nose syndrome. This introduced fungal disease is fatal for bats but harmless to humans. The fungus has devastated bat populations in central and eastern North America and, sadly, was recently detected in British Columbia for the first time. Results from the Bat Count may help prioritize areas for treatment and recovery actions.
Bat stewardship efforts on the Sunshine Coast are funded by the Habitat Stewardship Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Forest Enhancement Society of BC, Gencon Foundation, and the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, with support of the BC Conservation Foundation and the Province of BC. To find out more about bat counts or white-nose syndrome, to report a dead bat, or to get advice on managing bats in buildings, please visit www.bcbats.ca.

06/02/2023

It's Nesting Season - Please Report Turtle Sightings!
The Sunshine Coast's beautiful Western Painted Turtles have started their summer nesting activities. Please slow down and watch for turtles on roads. To help monitor our local populations of this precious endangered species, please report any sightings of turtles wandering on land, crossing roads, or digging in the ground. Send email reports to [email protected] or call or text 604-989-1007. If possible, please include a photo and note the date, time, and location.

05/18/2023

Last Two Sunshine Coast Bat Walks and Talks this Weekend!
Thanks to everyone who came out to watch bats at Lily Lake in Madeira Park last weekend. There were so many bats flying by us that our acoustic bat detecting equipment got overwhelmed trying to identify all the echolocation calls! There are two free, family-friendly bat walks left this year. Please join us...
-Saturday May 20, 8:45-9:45 PM – Sechelt Marsh (Meet at the trail head on Wharf Avenue)
-Sunday May 21, 8:45-9:45 PM – Gibsons (Banditry C***r, 538 Pratt Road)
Dress warmly and bring a flashlight, and possibly a fold-up chair if sitting would be most comfortable for you. Pre-registration is recommended to so we can contact you if we need to reschedule due to poor weather or any other reason. To pre-register, please email [email protected]
Our bat walk events are a part of Science Odyssey (sciod.ca), a country-wide festival supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to celebrate Canadian achievements in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Every year in May, hundreds of science outreach leaders deliver fun, engaging, and inspiring activities to Canadians of all ages. Bat conservation and research activities on the Sunshine Coast are generously supported by NSERC, Habitat Stewardship Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Forest Enhancement Society of BC, and Gencon Foundation.