As Sunshine Coast residents decorate their homes with ghosts, ghouls and witches, there may be some poor, misunderstood creatures lumped in with the frightening Halloween decorations – bats. But these little flying mammals don’t deserve their bad reputation. Bats are fascinating, helpful and not at all scary.
In North America, bats play an essential role in insect control, taking to the sky each night to dine on mosquitoes and other pests. Forget Batman – bats are the real heroes of the night! Each year they provide billions of dollars in pest control services. The loss of bats would have profound impacts on natural ecosystems and human economies.
Unfortunately, bat populations are declining worldwide. Half of B.C.’s bat species are at risk.
This Halloween, please aid these misunderstood animals by joining the Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project’s Bat Stewardship Program. Learn more about these creatures and how to help them by installing a bat house or monitoring known roosts. If you have bats roosting on your property or have seen bats flying during the winter, the Wildlife Project wants to know. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/coastwildlife, email [email protected], or call Dave at 604-989-1007.
Bat stewardship efforts on the Sunshine Coast are generously supported by Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Public Conservation Assistance Fund, Habitat Stewardship Program, Gencon Foundation, and the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program.
