2023 BC Annual Bat Count report

BC Bat Count results are in and available for readers. Each year the BC Bat Count results are published and available for review here https://bcbats.ca/bat-basics/community-bat-publications/

This report on bat counts would not be possible without all the volunteers!  Lots of great information is contained here thanks to efforts from bat volunteers all over BC. The BC Bat Community is grateful for everyone’s work and efforts throughout the past year.

We must continue in these efforts this spring and summer, so I encourage everyone to continue participating and remain involved.  Every bit of data gathering is important so we can see the “big picture” of what is happening with BC bat populations.

The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative Annual National Bat Health Report – 2023 — cites the following:

“White-nose syndrome and Pd, continue to spread across Canada, but the ability to detect this disease
has decreased drastically when compared to when it first emerged in Canada…public reporting
of bats during the WNS surveillance season of November 1 of a given year until May 31 of the following
year should be strongly encouraged through media outreach as a strategy to increase surveillance
efforts for WNS in western and northern Canada.” (p.5).

If you are interested in helping out with this much needed research, contact Paula Rodriguez de la Vega Okanagan Region Coordinator, BC Community Bat Program www.bcbats.ca Toll free: 1-855-922-BATS (2287) ext.13.