GET INVOLVED IN REAL BAT CONSERVATION SCIENCE!
SIGN UP FOR THE CWF BAT HOUSE PROGRAM
Do you live in Ottawa? We need 50 homeowners in the region to help conserve bats for the summer! As you may know, white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats across North America. Pesticides and wind turbines haven’t helped bat populations either. Hardest hit are the endangered Little Brown Bat and Northern Myotis. These bats, and several others, may not be able to recover without our help.
Click here to learn about the CWF Bat House Program and if you are eligible to get involved!
WHY BATS ARE IMPORTANT
Bats are amazing animals that are vital to the health of our environment and economy. Although we may not always see them, bats are hard at work all around the world each night – eating thousands of insects, pollinating flowers, and spreading seeds that grow new plants and trees. Step outside around dusk and take a few moments to look for bats in your neighbourhood!
WHAT’S PUTTING OUR BATS AT RISK?
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. This fungus grows on the exposed skin of bats as they hibernate during the winter in caves and mines. The cool temperatures of these hibernating sites allows the fungus to grow and spread throughout the site and on the bats themselves. The disease shows up as a fuzzy white substance on their ears, wings and muzzles. However, this isn’t the only damage this fungus causes. Internally the bat’s muscle tissues and blood vessels are affected and the bats end up dying as a result of dehydration (they lose water and electrolytes from their wings) and starvation (they wake up from hibernation more frequently using their fat reserves which can’t be replaced as flying insects are not available). The results of WNS are devastating with some Canadian populations down by 90 percent in only three years.
WHAT WE'RE DOING
As a means to promote the protection and recovery of the little brown myotis, CWF is collaborating with humane wildlife control companies to develop best management practices for their professional management of bats by: (1) incorporating the use of bat houses in service protocol; (2) promoting cohabitation with bats; (3) promoting alternative roosting sites via retrofits; (4) increasing public awareness, community engagement, and citizen science.
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View CWF Bat Researcher Karen Vanderwolf's Blog
Please find below recent articles by Karen Vanderwolf.
