Bats are an important part of the ecosystem and greatly assist the agricultural economy. As the main predator of night-flying insects in Ohio, bats keep insect populations in check. Unfortunately, some bat species have drastically declined over the last few years due to the cumulative effects of habitat loss, wind energy development, and white-nose syndrome. In order to protect bats, it’s important to know where they are roosting and understand how their population sizes are changing.
During the summer, groups of female bats form maternity colonies to give birth to and raise their young. These colonies can be found roosting in trees, barns, attics, caves, or bat boxes. The amount of natural roosting areas has decreased significantly because of urban development, so Five Rivers MetroParks uses bat boxes to provide additional habitat. Bats that roost in boxes in Ohio tend to be either little brown bats (like the above photo) or big brown bats. Little brown bats were once thought to be the most common species in Ohio, but their numbers have recently declined by as much as 99% according to winter hibernacula counts.
The purpose of this project is to monitor bat boxes throughout Five Rivers MetroParks to determine the species of bat utilizing the box and the approximate size of the roosting populations. By tracking the difference in colony size across the season and across several years, we can start to understand where bats are living and how their populations are changing in our state.
WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING AS A BAT MONITORING VOLUNTEER? We are looking for several small teams to adopt and monitor assigned bat boxes two times during the summer. Volunteers will watch, count, and identify bats that exit the boxes. The first count will be conducted sometime between the last week of May to the second week of June. The second count will be conducted between the first week and the last week of July, once pups are mature enough to fly.
Current Bat Box locations include:
- Huffman MetroPark - 1 box
- Overlook parking lot
- Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark – 2 boxes
- Not ideal for families with younger children
- Englewood MetroPark – 2 boxes
- Main park by horse trailer parking lot
- Possum Creek MetroPark – 5 boxes around the barn
- Potentially adding 1 box at Taylorsville reservable shelters location
Surveys will be conducted according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife bat roost monitoring protocol found here. The estimated survey time is 1.5 hours, starting at 8:30 pm and concluding at 10 pm OR when it’s too dark to see. You must have a smart phone or smart device that can download the necessary app.
DO YOU QUALIFY? This opportunity is reserved for long-term volunteers who have completed their onboarding qualifications and have received an eligible background check. Learn more about our volunteer orientation and onboarding here. This opportunity can be great for families, with youth ages 10 and up!
Interested and available to volunteer as a Bat Monitoring Volunteer? Come to our Bat Monitoring Training, led by our skilled and knowledgeable conservation staff, and learn how you can be an important role in aiding in the population rise of this important species. RSVP is required.
Check out the Mammals of Ohio Field Guide from the Ohio Division of Wildlife to learn more about the bat species we have in Ohio.
