The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is looking for volunteers to help count state-endangered little brown bats as they emerge at dusk at locations throughout the Champlain Valley.
Vermont’s little brown bats suffered massive declines due to the deadly disease, white-nose syndrome. An estimated 90 percent of the state’s bat population has been lost to this disease. Although some bats still die from the disease each winter, others continue to survive and reproduce. By counting bats at their summer colonies each summer, the department can track population changes over time and the bats’ long-term response to white-nose syndrome.
The department needs dedicated volunteers who can commit to watching bats at assigned sites for at least four nights this summer. Some sites require teams of volunteers. Volunteers must attend one of the following trainings:
May 13 at Kingsland Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh
May 20 at Bomoseen State Park, Fair Haven
Trainings begin at 7:30 p.m. and end after dusk when all of the bats have exited the buildings and bat houses where they reside.
Interested participants need not RSVP but should arrive promptly at 7:30 with warm layers of clothing and appropriate bug protection. All ages are welcome. For questions or more information about Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s Got Bats? program, contact Alyssa Bennett, small mammals biologist, at Alyssa.bennett@vermont.gov or 802-786-0098.
