the slocan valley bat project: a community approach to bat

The Slocan Valley Bat Project: A Community Approach to

Bat Inventory and Conservation

Maternity colony of Townsend’s big-eared Bats discovered in a resident’s workshop.

Prepared by: Juliet A. Craig1 and Mike Sarell2

Prepared for: Columbia Basin Trust3 and

Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program4

December 31, 2004

1 Contractor, 915 Vernon Street, Nelson, BC, V1L 4G7, [email protected] 2 Ophiuchus Consulting, RR#2 S53A C4, Oliver, BC, V0H 1T0, [email protected] 3 183 Gould’s Island, Golden, BC, V0A 1H0, www.cbt.org 4 103-333 Victoria Street, Nelson, BC, V1L 4K3, www.cbfishwildlife.org

Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Acknowledgements The success of this project can be attributed to the involvement of many volunteers. We wish to thank all of the residents who reported their bat colonies, allowed us to investigate their roosts, submitted dead bats for identification, or provided us with information:

John and Nancy Anderson, David Arcott, Margaret Austin, Annette Ball, Maggie Bajer and Doug Stanley, Sharon Beckjord, Rick and Sylvia Belfry, Herbert Bervert, Diane Black, Nikta and Adam Bolloman, Penny Bonnet, David Boyd, Jeff Bustard, Cynthia Cappelli, Scott Caulson, Shauna Cepela, Ray Christie, Ian Corner, Phyllis Dale, Harry Davis, Luc and Peggy Delisle, Nina Dodds, Robin Doupe, Corky Evans, Ray Ewert, Darcy and Lisa Fear, Doug Fisher, Dave Good, Lori and Susan Gustafson, Don Hallstrom, Lee Harding, Tania Harman, Cole Harris, Bill Harrison, Dave Havemann, Bob and Linda Heatherington, Marlene Hebert, Robert Howes, Bryce and Julie-Anne Hyatt, Beth James, Angela Jones, Chris Klassen, Jerry Kribsky, Susan Lifely, Barb and Bob Little, Lucy Mancino, Alan Marlow, Ken and Marilyn Marshall, Charles and Carol Minor, Rita Moir, Dodie and Patty Paddon, Sheila-May and Michael Pearce, Miriam Piggott, Michelle Pinard, Roger Plant, Naomi Powell, Brian Rehwald, Frank Russell, Mrs. Russell, Janet and Smitty Smith, Pete Soukroff, Angie and Dave Spearman, Colin Spence, Glen Spielman, Mike Super, Jim and Darlene Swartz, John Thomas, Trish and Brent Volweiter, Lorna Whitcott, Bob and Susan White, Shawna Zaytsoff, Len and Karen, Paula and Doug, Randy, Shelly, Sherry and Mike, Tia, Wanda and Marlowe.

We would especially like to thank Penny Bonnet for all of her assistance and hospitality, Sunscript Designs for constructing the website, W.E. Graham School and Ric Bardati for preparing bat-house materials, Craig Lawrence for organizing the community programs, Maggie Bajer and Flying Hands Farm for hosting the public mist-netting night at her farm, Morgan Anderson for providing bat drawings, Tamara Smith for developing the posters, Janet and Smitty for their hospitality, Dodie and Patty for all the refreshing swims, Jenny’s Books in Winlaw for providing a door prize, and Dr. Mark Brigham for reviewing information and answering questions. A very special thanks to Tom Bradley for providing extensive volunteer GIS services. Finally, special thanks to our dedicated volunteers who assisted extensively with roost surveys: Sarah Roberts, Morgan Anderson, Marlene Hebert, Wade Alcock, and Thomas Hill. We graciously acknowledge the Columbia Basin Trust for funding this project through their Community Environment Project fund, and the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program for their support and for providing funding for DNA testing.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Executive Summary

“I never would have thought I'd ever be involved in a conservation program like this, but it's the right thing to do and I've got a whole new appreciation for these bats and how important they are.”

Bob, Thrums

At least three of the bat species in the West Kootenay are considered at risk (COSEWIC, CDC) and include the Townsend’s big-eared bat, fringed myotis, and northern long-eared myotis which have been detected in the region through localized inventory efforts. For some areas of the region, including the Slocan Valley, there have been no documented bat inventories, and bat species at risk may be present. The goal of this project was to conduct a community-based inventory of bats in the Slocan Valley, focusing on their critical roosting habitat (caves, barns, attics, bridges and other structures), and to work with the communities to identify, conserve and enhance these roosting structures, particularly for those bat species at risk.

The objectives of this project were: 1) To identify bat roost sites, particularly on private land, including houses, barns, etc. and

to identify cave and mine roost sites by speaking with community members; 2) To promote education and awareness of bats and their habitats, and involve the public in

bat conservation; 3) To work with land owners to promote the conservation and enhancement of these roost

sites, including recording roost sites, assessing roost site habitat and characteristics (e.g. temperature, humidity), and addressing landowner concerns (e.g. health, noise and smell);

4) To promote bat roost sites in the form of encouraging the installation and monitoring of bat houses; and

5) To identify characteristics of successful bat houses for future bat house installation in the Slocan Valley.

This project incorporated outreach, inventory, stewardship and conservation. The project was highly publicized, and encouraged local participation in identifying and conserving bat roosts. A total of 76 roost sites were identified during this project, including 37 maternity roosts, 22 day roosts, 15 night roosts, and 2 unknown roosts. Up to 11 bat species were seen or detected (using ultrasonic bat detector) during this project. Of these, day roosts (including maternity roosts) were discovered for 7 species of bats: Townsend’s big-eared (Corynorhinus townsendii), little brown myotis clade (Myotis lucifugus var.), little brown myotis (M. lucifugus), western long-eared myotis (M. evotis), Yuma myotis (M. yumanensis), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), and long-legged myotis (M. volans). Incidental data was also collected for California myotis (M. californicus), Fringed myotis (M. thysanodes), Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), and a possible Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus). One of the greatest values of this project was the education and awareness component that was integral to each of the project activities. As a result of this project, residents are conserving bats and their roosts, and collecting unique and valuable data that contributes to the understanding and conservation of bats. This project can be considered a pilot project of its kind, and its success can lead to similar approaches to bat inventory and conservation work around the Columbia Basin Region.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1 Study Area .......................................................................................................................... 2 Methods............................................................................................................................... 3

Project Promotion ........................................................................................................... 3 Advertising.................................................................................................................. 3 Public events ............................................................................................................... 3

Landowner Visits ............................................................................................................ 5 Roost Searches ............................................................................................................ 5 Landowner Perspectives ............................................................................................. 6 Roost Conservation and Enhancement ....................................................................... 7

Results and Discussion ....................................................................................................... 8 Bat Inventory and Roost Sites......................................................................................... 8

Townsend’s big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii): Blue-listed .......................... 9 Little brown myotis variant (Myotis lucifugus var) .................................................. 12 Little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus)..................................................................... 14 Western long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) .............................................................. 15 Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus).............................................................................. 16 Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis)........................................................................... 17 Incidental observations ............................................................................................. 17

Roost Enhancement and Conservation ......................................................................... 19 Threats to bats ........................................................................................................... 19 Roost modification.................................................................................................... 20

Education and Awareness and Public Involvement...................................................... 24 Evaluation of community-based bat project ................................................................. 26

Recommendations............................................................................................................. 27 References......................................................................................................................... 29 Appendices........................................................................................................................ 31 List of Tables Table 1: Bat inventory effort in the West Kootenay.......................................................... 1 Table 2: Scale to measure landowner perspectives before and after a site visit. ................ 7 Table 3: Summary of Bat Observations for the Slocan Valley Bat Project....................... 8 Table 4: Townsend’s big-eared bat roosts identified. ......................................................... 9 Table 5: Little brown myotis variant roosts identified...................................................... 12 Table 6: Little brown bat roosts identified........................................................................ 14 Table 7: Western long-eared myotis roosts identified. ..................................................... 15 Table 8: Big brown bat roosts identified........................................................................... 16 Table 9: Yuma myotis roosts identified............................................................................ 17 List of Figures Figure 1. Location of Slocan Valley, BC............................................................................ 2

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004

Introduction At least three of the bat species in the West Kootenay are considered at risk (COSEWIC 2004, CDC 2004) and include the Townsend’s big-eared bat, fringed myotis, and northern long-eared myotis. These species are at the edges of their ranges but their actual geographical and biophysical limits are not known (Nagorsen and Brigham, 1993). Bat inventories in discrete areas have yielded information on local bat species, including these species at risk, and are summarized in the following table. Table 1: Bat inventory effort in the West Kootenay

Bat Inventory Area Sources West Arm Demonstration Forest (north of Nelson)

e.g. Grindal 1996; Grindal et al. 1999; Barclay and Brigham 2001;

Mica Creek Compensation Area (north of Revelstoke)

Rasheed and Holroyd 1995; Caceres 1998; Haney et. al. 2002

Pend D’Oreille Valley (south of Trail)

e.g. Vonhof 1996; Brigham et. al 1997; Vonhof and Gwilliam 2000

Fort Shepherd (south of Trail)

Vonhof and Gwilliam 2000; Schaeffer et al. 2002; Sarell et al. 2003; Hill et. al 2004

Creston Hill et. al 2004 For some areas of the region, including the Slocan Valley, there have been no documented bat inventories, and bat species at risk may be present. The goal of this project was to conduct a community-based inventory of bats in the Slocan Valley, including their critical roosting habitat (caves, barns, attics, bridges and other structures), and work with the local communities to conserve and enhance these roosting structures, particularly for those species at risk. The Slocan Valley was chosen as an area to pilot this method of bat inventory for several reasons. First, there had been no previously documented inventories of bats in the area. Secondly, residents of the area are known to have strong ecological values and an interest in conservation so it was felt that they would be likely to participate in a project on bats. Third, mosquito populations in the Slocan Valley have been rising, causing discomfort and potential health hazards to residents, leading to the discussion of enhancing populations of predators of mosquitoes, including bats. Finally, a Townsend’s big-eared bat (blue-listed) was reported roosting in a house in Galena Bay (Harding, 1998) with the only other known populations occurring at the Pend D’Oreille, Fort Shepherd, and Creston (Vonhof and Gwilliam 2000; Schaeffer et al. 2002; Sarell et al. 2003; Hill et. al 2004). Also, a northern long-eared bat (blue-listed) was confirmed in the Pend D’Oreille (Vonhof, pers. comm.) with the only other known populations in Revelstoke (Haney et. al. 2002). The Slocan Valley forms one of two geographical links to these southern populations, so it was predicted that these species would be present in this region. Since these are species at risk, information on their range and distribution was considered a valuable contribution towards conservation and recovery efforts.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 The objectives of the Slocan Valley Bat Project (SVBP) were:

1) To identify bat roost sites, particularly on private land, including houses, barns, etc. and to identify cave and mine roost sites by speaking with community members;

2) To promote education and awareness of bats and their habitats, and involve the public in bat conservation;

3) To work with land owners to promote the conservation and enhancement of these roost sites, including recording roost sites, assessing roost site habitat and characteristics (e.g. temperature, humidity), and addressing landowner concerns (e.g. health, noise and smell);

4) To promote bat roost sites in the form of encouraging the installation and monitoring of bat houses; and

5) To identify characteristics of successful bat houses for future bat house installation in the Slocan Valley.

Study Area The intended study area for this project was the Slocan Valley and surrounding area (e.g. Nakusp), located in the West Kootenay in Southeastern BC (see Figure 1). During the project roost sites were reported from surrounding areas, and these roost sites were investigated when possible, usually in volunteer/in-kind time. As a result, the following communities were included in the Slocan Valley Project Area: Crescent Valley, South Slocan, Passmore, Vallican, Winlaw, Appledale, Perry’s Siding, New Denver, Silverton, Sandon, Retallack, Roseberry, Hills, and Nakusp, and results are also reported from Galena Bay, Castlegar, Nelson, Ymir, Balfour, Thrums, Shoreacres and Kaslo. Figure 1. Location of Slocan Valley, BC.

The study area is located primarily in the Central Columbia Mountains ecosection, with the southern portion extending into the Southern Columbia Mountains ecosection. The region encompasses four subzones of the Interior Cedar Hemlock biogeoclimatic zones: (ICHdw, ICHmw2, ICHwk1, and ICHvk1).

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Methods This project incorporated outreach, inventory, stewardship and conservation. The project was highly publicized, and encouraged local participation in identifying and conserving bat roosts.

Project Promotion

Advertising The key to this project was advertising and promotion. Posters were developed and installed throughout the Slocan Valley (see Appendix A), and newspaper articles were written throughout the summer to promote the project, inform residents of recent findings, and raise awareness about bats (see Appendix B). Two radio advertisements were also made: one announcement on the CBC Community Bulletin (see Appendix C) and one interview on Kootenay Co-op Radio. A website was constructed for this project (www.kootenaybats.com) that assisted with the dissemination of information and with providing information to the general public about the Project (see Appendix D). The site includes general information about the project, upcoming events, information on bat-houses, information on bats and health, a listing of local bat species, and key links. As of October 10, 2004, the website had a total of 1,450 hits and they came from around the world including United States, England, and China, although the majority of visitors were from Canada.

Public events Awareness about this project was also raised through public events. Interpretive programs were offered in New Denver and Winlaw in May and June of 2004 and were funded by the Columbia Basin Trust’s Education and Awareness Fund. These programs provided information on bats, addressed the myths about bats, discussed methods of research, and provided information on local bat species. Twenty-six people attended the program in New Denver, and 103 people attended the two programs in Winlaw (68 and 35 respectively). Bat-house building workshops were also offered in Winlaw and New Denver. These programs, carried out in collaboration with the Slocan Valley Recreation Commission, provided pre-cut materials to participants so that they could put together their own bat-house to take home. Information on where to install their bat-house was provided, as well as general information about the project that encouraged them to report bat colonies. Approximately 20 people attended the bat-house building workshop in New Denver (building 10 bat-houses) and over 150 people attended the workshop in Winlaw (building 50 bat-houses). These programs were considered so successful that the Slocan Valley Recreation Commission will continue to offer them in upcoming years.

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http://www.kootenaybats.com/


Bat-house building workshops in New Denver (left) and Winlaw (right).

Two public mist-netting nights were also offered as part of the project: one in Summit Lake at Flying Hands Farm, and one in Winlaw at the Winlaw Regional Nature Park. Residents had the opportunity to learn about bat research methods, handle equipment, and see bats up close (although unfortunately no bats were caught during the Winlaw evening). Information was also available to take home, including newsletters and bat-house plans. Approximately 18 people attending the mist-netting night at Summit Lake, and over 100 people attended the evening at Winlaw Regional Nature Park.

Public mist-netting night to provide residents with an opportunity to see bats up close and to become familiar with bat research gear. During all of these events, residents were encouraged to provide their contact information if they had bats on their property and/or if they were interested in joining the bat project email list. These programs provided key contacts in each community, and were instrumental in the success of the Project. By the end of the summer, 87 contacts were on the SVBP email list.

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Landowner Visits As well as raising awareness through advertising and public events, the project included roost surveys. Approximately 90 site visits were conducted throughout the field season to actual and suspected bat roosts.

Roost Searches Investigations were carried out at roosts reported by residents throughout the Slocan Valley and other parts of the West Kootenay. If possible, searches were carried out during the day to maximize the number of roosts visited. However, at some roosts, bats were not visible, and these sites were visited at dusk to identify the bats upon emergence. Roosts were identified by: 1) being reported directly by the landowner, 2) being reported indirectly by a neighbour or friend or 3) being investigated as a suspected roost site by Project biologists. The landowner was contacted to gain permission to search for bats. In every case, permission was granted and usually landowners became very interested in the project and assisted with the survey. A landowner profile was recorded in all cases. During a site visit, the Project biologists introduced themselves and explained the purpose of the project. Residents were asked if they had any issues around bats (e.g. noise, smell, fear, health concerns) and these were addressed. Information was provided and included a Slocan Valley Bat Project Newsletter (Appendix E), bat-house plans, information on where to put your bat house (Appendix F), Ministry of Environment (1998) brochure on Townsend’s big-eared bats (for those colonies), and/or a Roost Monitoring Form (Appendix G).

Roosts were generally visited by two biologists, Mike Sarell (bat biologist) and Juliet Craig (outreach biologist). The combination of a male-female two-person team was very effective. In some cases, landowners responded to each biologist differently, allowing for more conversation with one person. Having two people allowed one biologist to search the roost site and record data while the other was interacting with the landowner. Trained and enthusiastic volunteers also assisted with site visits, particularly when only one biologist was available. Bat biologist, Mike Sarell, and outreach biologist, Juliet Craig, examining a bat.

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Juliet Craig explaining bat biology to residents (left) and Mike Sarell working with resident to measure a bat (right). Roosts visited were primarily sheds, attics, garages, outside walls, roof apexes, bat-houses, and barns. Community members rarely referred investigators to bridges but they were investigated whenever possible. Day surveys consisted of looking for guano stains and piles, and peering into any crevices that could have been used as roosts. Many bridges were investigated to look for day roosting bats or signs of night roosting. Information about the roost site including location, height above ground, height within the roost, aspect, type of roost (night, day, maternity, incidental sighting) and roost structure were recorded (see Appendix H). As well, data on the bats was gathered including species, sex, age (juvenile or adult), number of bats, forearm length, ear length, weight and description (RIC 1998). Information about the roost site was gained from the landowner, including how many years the bats have been roosting there, month of arrival, and month of departure. Given the difficulty of distinguishing western long-eared myotis, northern long-eared myotis and little brown myotis, DNA samples were taken from suspected northern long-eared myotis. A small wing-punch sample was taken from each wing of one bat in a colony. A total of four samples (from Hills, Nakusp and McDonald Creek) were submitted for testing through the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (CBFWCP) to Dr. Maarten Vonhof at Princeton University in New Jersey.

Landowner Perspectives Attempts were made to record landowner perspectives on bats by asking people if they had any issues. Perspectives ranged from residents who really appreciated their bat colony and liked them being there to people who didn’t like bats and wanted them out. It was difficult to capture the changes in education and awareness of bats as a result of the visit. A grid was developed to attempt to measure perspectives before the visit versus those following the visit (see Table 2). This type of scale is useful, but requires further refinement to better reflect landowner perspectives.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Table 2: Scale to measure landowner perspectives before and after a site visit.

Doesn’t like bats. Wants them out.

Wants bats out but will put up bat-house before sealing space to encourage conservation

Doesn’t mind having bats in house and recognizes importance of bat conservation.

Excited about bats. Wants to enhance/ conserve habitat.

Other:

Pre-visit Post-visit

Roost Conservation and Enhancement During site visits, roost conservation was discussed with the landowners. There were a number of aspects to roost conservation planning. First, landowners were asked if they had any issues with having bats on their property. Often it is the side-effects of bats (e.g. noise, smell) that cause a problem, rather then the bats themselves. The issues of bats in the roost were then discussed to determine whether bats could stay in the current roost (and if the roost needed to be modified), or if the roost should be sealed and bats “relocated”. The installation of bat-houses was promoted as a way to enhance bat roosting habitat. During the site visit, biologists walked around the property with residents to determine the best location to install the bat-house. Sites that were high, uncluttered, and south-facing were considered most suitable. Bat-houses that were already installed were investigated by biologists to determine if they were being used and if so, what their characteristics were.

A partnership was developed with Jim Sharp of J.R. Custom Carpentry, a disabled worker who started a business building and selling bat-houses5. His contact information was given to residents and posted on the SVBP website as a source for bat-houses.

Disabled worker, Jim Sharp, started a business to make and sell bat-houses in partnership with the Slocan Valley Bat Project.

Many residents who did not have bats contacted the Slocan Valley Bat Project to learn how to promote bats on their property. If possible, biologists visited their property to provide them with information and determine a good location for a bat-house. If a visit was not feasible, bat-house plans were mailed out.

5 Jim Sharp, J.R. Custom Carpentry, (250) 265-1933, [email protected]

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Results and Discussion

Bat Inventory and Roost Sites A total of 76 roost sites were identified during this project, including 37 maternity roosts, 22 day roosts, 15 night roosts, and 2 unknown roosts (see Table 3). Up to 11 bat species were seen or detected (using ultrasonic bat detector) during this project (see Appendix I for maps of roost sites and observation locations). Of these, day roosts (including maternity roosts) were discovered for 7 species of bats: Townsend’s big-eared (Corynorhinus townsendii), little brown myotis clade (Myotis lucifugus var?), little brown myotis (M. lucifugus), western long-eared myotis (M. evotis), Yuma myotis (M. yumanensis), big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), and long-legged myotis (M. volans). A night roost for M. californicus was found under the Shoreacres Bridge. Incidental or possible sightings included fringed myotis (M. thysanodes - dead juveniles difficult to identify) and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans - detected ultrasonically). There was also a possible hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) flying out of a barn in Crescent Valley, but the observation was so brief that it was difficult to confirm. Table 3: Summary of Bat Observations for the Slocan Valley Bat Project

Common Name

Scientific Name

Fed/Prov Status 1,2

Results3 Comments

Yuma Myotis Myotis yumanensis

n/a / Yellow 2 maternity roosts 1 roost may be MYLU

California Myotis

Myotis californicus

n/a / Yellow 1 night roost

Little Brown Myotis

Myotis lucifugus

n/a / Yellow 5 maternity roosts, 1 day roost & 2 night roosts

Typical little brown myotis.

Little Brown variety

Myotis lucifugus var

n/a / Yellow 10 maternity roosts, 4 day roosts

Strong similarity to M. septentrionalis

Western Long-eared Myotis

Myotis evotis n/a / Yellow 2 maternity roosts & 1 night roost

Long-legged Myotis

Myotis volans n/a / Yellow 1 day roost and incidental dead juvenile

Fringed Myotis

Myotis thysanodes

DD/Blue Incidental dead juveniles – not confirmed

Fringe not prominent

Hoary Bat Lasiurus boreus

n/a / Yellow 1 possible roost In flight

Silver-haired Bat

Lasionycteris noctivagans

n/a / Yellow 1 echolocation call detection

Big Brown Bat

Eptisicus fuscus

n/a / Yellow 8 maternity roosts, 6 day roosts & 2 night roosts

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat

Corynorhinus townsendii

recommended T/Blue

3 maternity roosts & 4 single day roosts

Galena Bay may have largest colony in W. Kootenays

Unknown Bats Myotis sp. and others

1 maternity, 9 night, 6 day & 2 unknown roosts

Could not verify species

1 Federal Status is Endangered (E), Threatened (T), Special Concern (SC), Data Defficient (DD) 2 Provincial Status: Red, Blue, Yellow 3 Roosts: Maternity is day roost with evidence of parturition; day roost is no parturition detected

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Townsend’s big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii): Blue-listed Five confirmed roost sites of Townsend’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) were identified around and within the Slocan Valley (Galena Bay to Thrums) during this project, and two other roost sites were probable but not inspected (see Table 4). Of these seven roosts, three were maternity colonies and four were single individuals (probably males).

Townsend’s big-eared bat maternity roost identified in Galena Bay during this project (left). Resident, Marlene Hebert looking up at lone male bat (fondly named “Billy the Bat”) that she had been observing for several years without knowing he was a rare species.

Table 4: Townsend’s big-eared bat roosts identified.

Location Type of roost

Roost structure

Number of bats

Comments

Galena Bay Maternity Outbuilding – shed

140 (with young)

In upper floor of two-storey workshop

Perry’s Siding Maternity Apex of ceiling within house

5 (3 adults and 2 pups)

Bats roosting in open house above stage and small theatre

Thrums Maternity Attic of house ? Was not able to investigate roost but likely COTO

Galena Bay Single Male Outbuilding – shed

1 Top of two-storey workshop. This roost was previously recorded (Harding, 1998)

Perry’s Siding Single Male Outbuilding – shed

1 Affectionately known as “Billy the Bat”

South Slocan Single Male Outbuilding – shed

1 Top of two-storey workshop. Not confirmed but described by owner

Krestova Single Bat Natural caves 1 Roost discovered by Thomas Hill (CBFWCP)

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 The majority of these roost sites were in outbuildings, notably two-storey workshops with the top floor relatively undisturbed. All of these roosts were relatively large (at least 2 m by

3 m). The first roost site of Townsend’s big-eared bat was discovered when resident Marlene Hebert sent in a photo of the bat she had been observing for several years after attending the bat-house building workshop in Winlaw. A follow-up visit confirmed that this bat was a Townsend’s big-eared, and led to further investigations in the area. The maternity roost discovered in the workshop in Galena Bay is the largest maternity colony known for Townsend’s big-eared bats in the West Kootenay, with approximately 140 bats (including young). This roost site was in close proximity to the roost of a lone male that was reported in 1998 (Harding, 1998). Shed with large maternity roost in Galena Bay (left)

The most surprising roost site was in Perry’s Siding, where the bats were roosting within the house at the apex of the ceiling. According to the owner, David Arcott, he has been co-habiting with these bats for at least three decades.

David Arcott in the room housing the small maternity roost at Perry’s Siding (left) and bats seen in the ceiling of the room (right). Another interesting roost site that was identified in the Slocan Valley area during this Project was a single Townsend’s big-eared bat that was in torpor in a natural cave in the Krestova area (Hill et. al 2004). This roost site was discovered by Thomas Hill, a biologist with the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, and is an important discovery since these natural caves may be used as night roosts, maternity roosts, or hibernaculum for this species.

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Natural caves where single Townsend’s big-eared bat was discovered roosting. Photos and roost report courtesy of Thomas Hill (CBFWCP).

Townsend’s big-eared bats are blue-listed and considered to be vulnerable in BC (CDC, MWLAP) and have been recommended as being considered Threatened to COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). This species at risk was not previously known in the Slocan Valley, although it had been documented in Galena Bay (Harding, 1998) and in the southern West Kootenays (Vonhof and Gwilliam 2000, Schaeffer et al 2002, Sarell et al. 2003, Hill et. al 2004). Maternity roosts are a critical habitat feature in the conservation of this species, and to identify two (and potentially three) such roosts is an important step in the management of this species. At all roost sites, landowners were very interested to learn that their bat species was blue-listed, and they were given the Ministry of Environment publication on Townsend’s big-eared Bats to provide them with more information (Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, 1998). All landowners are interested in maintaining the roost sites for these bats. In one case, the roost site may be disturbed by construction, so the landowner is keen to install an appropriate bat-house. A good design for a bat-house or suitable modifications that can be done to outbuildings is needed and recommended for future community-based bat projects.

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Little brown myotis variant (Myotis lucifugus var) During the project, several possible northern long-eared myotis roosts were identified. These bats had long ears that were slightly curved, sharp and pointed tragus, distinctive fur colour, a dark mask around the eyes and high frequency echolocation calls (80 to 100 kHz). Given the difficulty of distinguishing northern long-eared myotis from little brown or western long-eared myotis, DNA samples were taken from several suspected colonies. Table 5: Little brown myotis variant roosts identified.

Location Type of roost

Roost structure

Number of bats

Comments

Summit Lake 1

Maternity Bat-houses 1 (up to 355)

Caught bat during mist-netting. May have come from nearby bat-house.

Retallack

Maternity Abandoned house

170 In crack above front door

Nakusp*

Maternity Attic 1 More bats seen in summer

Slocan

Maternity Attic 20 Most within roofing

Nakusp south* Maternity Eves of house

1 One seen but more inside

Rosebery*

Maternity Under flashing

2 Roosting w/ E. fuscus

Perry’s Siding

Maternity Bat-house 505 Residents did emergence count

Ymir

Maternity Attic 25

Silverton

Maternity Attic >100 Bats not actually caught

North Shore

Maternity Wall of house

1 One dead bat submitted – more in wall

Summit Lake

Day Roost Attic 1 Probably a maternity colony – check earlier in summer

Silverton Day Roost Between chimney and house

3 Co-roosting with EPFU

Beasley

Day Roost Rafters 1 Under eve of house

Nakusp 2

Day roost Shed/attic 1 Bats had been disturbed from attic – one found under rafters of shed

* DNA tests were done on bats from these roost sites This species may also have been detected at Winlaw, the Winlaw Regional Nature Park, and the North Shore. Dead bats were collected from Nakusp and Nelson but have not been verified.

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Examples of suspected northern long-eared myotis. This species may be a variant of Myotis lucifugus.

Recent DNA results indicate that these bats were little brown myotis (Vonhof, pers. comm.). According to Tanya Dewey at the University of Michigan (Dewey, pers. comm.), there may be more than one kind of Myotis lucifugus in the West Kootenay area. In Montana, she has found three distinct, cryptic species of M. lucifugus, sometimes co-occurring at the same locality on the same night. She found that the traditional M. lucifugus is not even the closest relative of the several, new cryptic western "lucifugus" (they would be M. carissima and M. relictus) species in that region. This is based on long marker DNA analysis. Further samples should be taken from suspected M. lucifugus, M. evotis and M. septentrionalis colonies, and submit them for DNA analysis in partnership with the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection in Victoria, to better understand which species of bats inhabit this area. The following images (used without permission from Bat Conservation International) are of known bat species for comparison:

MMyotis lucifugus Myotis evotis yotis septentrionalis

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Little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) Six maternity colonies, one day roost and two night roosts of little brown myotis were identified throughout the West Kootenay area (see Table 6). Table 6: Little brown bat roosts identified.

Location Type of colony

Roost structure Number of bats

Comments

Bonnington

Maternity Attic – many chambers

7 Bats have been there for 39 years

Galena Bay

Maternity Attic – and into wall

140

Summit Lake Maternity Bat-house 1 (up to 355)

Caught mist-netting but may have come from a bat-house containing over 355 individuals

Summit Lake Maternity Attic >100 House nobody has lived in for 3 years

Winlaw Maternity Wall of house 11 Been there 4 years Nelson Maternity Attic ? May be Yuma myotis –

only 2 dead juveniles found

Summit Lake Day Roost Information stand in Park

1 Under roof of information stand

Little brown myotis were also observed using both ends of the Shoreacres bridge as a night roost with 13 bats seen on the east side and 19 bats seen on the west side on one night.

Little brown bats using Shoreacres bridge as a night roost.

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Western long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) Two maternity colonies of western long-eared myotis (M. evotis) were identified during this project. One of these colonies was in a bat-house mounted on the south side of a house at Galena Bay. Although the bat-house was empty, a mummified bat was hanging from its edge and identified as M. evotis. Several days after the field investigation, bats returned to the bat-house. Table 7: Western long-eared myotis roosts identified.

Location Type of roost Roost structure Number of bats

Comments

Nakusp Maternity Abandoned house

> 100 Dozens of bats emerged from this roost site.

Galena Bay Maternity Bat-houses Unknown Dead bat found on bat-house. Bat-house still occupied occasionally

The second maternity roost was a large colony in an abandoned house in Nakusp. Ten bats were seen roosting on the chimney in the attic of the house but during an emergence count, over 100 bats were seen. Bats have been in this house for over 40 years, and the house has been empty for 12 years. The owners of the property recognize the value and importance of bats and if the house is going to be demolished, they indicated that they would install bat-houses first.

Myotis evotis (left) and large roost in abandoned house (right).

One western long-eared myotis was also seen at night roosting under the Shoreacres bridge. Several potential Myotis evotis were detected at Winlaw, on the north shore, and at the Winlaw Regional Nature Park. These bats may have been M. lucifugus var. or M. septentrionalis.

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Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) Eight maternity roosts for big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) were identified. These roosts were throughout the West Kootenay area. Roost sites were often in chimney crevices or on the outside of buildings. For some roost sites the bats were not accessible so the identification was not confirmed, but descriptions from the landowners and the guano evidence indicated big brown bats. Table 8: Big brown bat roosts identified.


Comments

Winlaw Maternity Eves of house 27 Over 100 bats last year. First saw bats 7 years ago.

Crescent Valley Maternity Barn in rafters 8 Old barn from early 1900’s.

Thrums Maternity Roof of stairwell 1 Dead bat found, but 17 counted last year

Passmore Maternity Chimney in crack 51 Counted 36 bats last year

New Denver Maternity A-Frame in roof ? Did not confirm species

Nakusp Maternity Under shingles on roof

? Did not confirm species

Shoreacres Maternity Top of chimney and crack into roof


Thrums Maternity Metal flashing on side of house


Bonnington Day Roost On metal screening behind attic vent

4

Castlegar Day Roost Between concrete chimney and house

2 First saw bats about 8 years ago. Counted 17 one year

Roseberry Day Roost Under flashing on edge of roof

1

Silverton Day Roost Between chimney and house wall

1 Co-roosting with MYLU var

Crescent Valley Day Roost Barn in rafters 1 May have been a hoary bat – flew out of barn

Thrums Day Roost Between chimney and roof


Big brown bats were also identified using night roosts in Castlegar and Shoreacres bridge, and were detected ultrasonically in New Denver, Winlaw Regional Nature Park, and Winlaw.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis) One large maternity colony of Yuma myotis was identified in Nakusp in an attic. This colony was causing problems with guano, smell and noise. Another potential colony was identified in Nelson, but only dead juvenile bats were found so identification was difficult. Table 9: Yuma myotis roosts identified.


Comments

Nakusp Maternity Attic 240 Bat congregated around chimney

Nelson Maternity Attic 2 (dead) May be Little brown – only dead bat seen

Incidental observations Several other bat species were detected during this inventory. A Silver-haired bat was detected ultrasonically in New Denver and was flying around a street lamp. A possible Hoary bat was seen flying out of a barn, but it may have been a Big brown since there was very little time to observe the bat. A dead bat was submitted from Slocan City that is likely a Myotis volans, but it was difficult to identify. Two dead juvenile bats were submitted from Slocan City and the North Shore that were very difficult to identify, but may potentially be fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes). Also, several roosts of unknown species were recorded including one maternity roost and six day roosts. The most diverse roost site was Shoreacres Bridge which provides a night roost for the following species that were all seen on one night: little brown myotis, western long-eared myotis, long-legged myotis, Yuma myotis, California myotis, and big brown bat. All other bridges searched had either no bat evidence, or very little evidence of use, likely because of their slippery surface that may be difficult for bats to hang from. Shoreacres bridge provides a night roost for at least 6 species.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Roost structures Roosts were identified in a number of structures during the project. These include barns, workshops, attics, sheds, walls, porches, bat-houses, roofing and roof peaks. It appeared that Townsend’s big-eared bats preferred chambers, such as atttics with easy access, while myotis species preferred small crevices. The majority of roosts were occupied throughout the summer, some as late as October 16 (M. Hebert, pers. comm.).

Examples of roost structures identified during this project including roof, church belfry, rock crevice, roof shakes, flashing, attic, and barn.

The most successful bat-houses were those that were multi-chambered, on high poles, facing south, with no clutter around them. The largest colony seen emerging from a bat-house was 505 bats from two maternity bat-houses installed back to back in Perry’s Siding. Two similar bat-houses in Summit Lake had 355 bats emerge before participants stopped counting. From observations and other information, bat-houses were recommended to be installed on high, south-facing, uncluttered areas.

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Successful bat-houses installed in Slocan Valley. The bat-house on the left had 355 bats emerge, and the one on the right had 505 bats emerge.

Roost Enhancement and Conservation

Threats to bats A number of conservation issues relating to bats were identified in this project. One of these issues is active extermination of bats. Although it is illegal to kill, capture, or harass bats without a permit (under the Wildlife Act), it is still likely that this occurs. For example, one resident who had participated in a public mist-netting night later ran into a friend who was buying poison to kill bats in her house. The resident called the Bat Project biologists who visited the landowner to work together to develop a strategy for removing the bats that did not involve killing them. One resident who had a serious issue with guano coming into her house, and a smell that permeated her living quarter, had tried for years to obtain resources on how to get the bats out of her house. She had called the Ministry of Environment who informed her that it was illegal to kill bats, but could offer no other suggestion for removing them. The resident was relieved to have biologists visit her roost and provide strategies for relocating these bats. However, it is likely that other landowners have pursued extermination. Another threat to bat habitat that was recognized during this project was the accidental loss of roost sites. The Project biologists received several calls from people who had begun construction on their homes and realized that they had a bat colony that was going to be disturbed. The project provided them with information about bat-houses, and almost all residents were keen to install one before they continued construction. Another threat to bats is their intentional eviction. The Project biologists visited several landowners who had attempted to seal off their roost sites, either successfully or unsuccessfully. These landowners were concerned about not harming the bats, but wanted to have the bats out of their houses. Again, information on bat-houses was provided, and

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 wherever possible, biologists visited the landowner to discuss the most suitable location to install it. Part of the 2005 workplan will include following up with residents who have installed bat-houses to determine the rate of occupancy and success. Another threat to bats that was recognized in this project was accidental mortality. In two cases, falling into a structure that they could not make their way out of was killing bats. In one instance, this was a bucket that had been placed below a chimney to catch water that was leaking. A large bat colony was roosting on the chimney, and dozens of bats had fallen into the bucket and died. The project worked with this landowner to suggest solutions for moving bats out of the attic, and sealing the attic and chimney to reduce noise and smell. Another structure that bats were accidentally being killed in was the brochure rack on a BC Parks information booth. This small plastic case, that usually held brochures, had entrapped several bats. None of the bats were able to exit and all would have perished if the park attendants had not removed them. The solution was easy: simply raise the plastic panel at the front of the rack so that bats could exit from the gap at the bottom. This situation has been rectified. Dozens of roost sites were identified during this project, including roosts of the blue-listed Townsend’s big-eared bat. In some cases, residents did not know that they had bats on their property, and the colony was discovered by a drop-in visit during the Project. In other cases, people recognized they had a colony of bats on their property, but did not know which species. The project played a valuable role in providing a resource for landowners who were having issues with bats, and in the process, conserving and enhancing critical bat roosting habitat. Brochure rack that accidentally

trapped bats.

Roost modification

In some cases, landowners were willing to maintain the bat roost in situ, including in attics, barns, chimney cracks, and walls. Often, there were no issues identified by landowners so they were willing to maintain their roost site with no alterations. However, in other cases, modifications were necessary to reduce noise or smell, or contain the bats to a certain area.

For some landowners, noise was an issue, especially when bats were roosting in a wall near a bedroom, and could be heard scratching in the night. Strategies to reduce noise were discussed, which included double-flooring the attic, or sealing off small chambers where bats could be heard. Smell was an issue in a few homes, especially where guano had been accumulating for several years. Strategies for reducing smell include cleaning out the guano once per year, laying down plastic above insulation in attics, stringing tarps to collect falling guano in barns, and sealing cracks in an attic or wall where guano is coming into the living quarters.

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Guano piles in attic of house in Nakusp (left) and tarp strung in barn to protect hay (right).

Health issues were one of the major concerns of landowners. They were interested in learning more about rabies and histoplasmosis, and risks associated with bats. Risks of rabies were discussed, (including the low percentage of bats that are estimated to have rabies in natural populations), as well as appropriate cautions of not handling bats, avoiding bats behaving strangely, and seeking immediate medical attention if bitten by a bat. Also, it was suggested that the bat’s roosting space be sealed off and separate from human living quarters so that the risk of contact between people and bats was minimized. Histoplasmosis is a very remote possibility, but information on methods of reducing risk, such as wearing a mask when cleaning out guano, or gently wetting down guano before sweeping it out, were provided. The benefits of guano, including it use and value as a fertilizer, were also mentioned.

Guano for sale at local store in Nelson (left) and buckets of guano collected from barn roost site during this project (right).

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Another issue of bats was general fear and dislike. Landowners were shown a bat up close, and the unique features of a bat were pointed out. Interesting facts about bat biology and conservation were discussed. This personal interaction with a bat was very important in promoting bat conservation, as people’s attitudes shifted when they became more familiar with bats. The following email correspondence with a resident from Nakusp illustrates the value of this type of bat project for roost conservation.

Pre-visit email from resident: Hello, I live in Nakusp. This colony of bats has been roosting in my attic for the 4 years I have owned this house. While I enjoy seeing them around the place in the evening catching flies I think my attic is probably not the best place for them… One way or another they are getting evicted from my attic before winter sets in. Thank you, Robin.

Post-visit email from Bat Project:

Hi Robin, I just wanted to send an email to follow up on our visit to identify your bats in August… If you were willing, you could block off the section of your attic that is just metal and above your porch. (That's the section we found the bat in). You could give that section to the bats and tear down the screening that prevents them from entering. Then the rest of your attic will be bat-free and you could use it for development. All the best, Juliet

Post-visit email from resident:

Hello Juliet, That's a great idea. I will do exactly that. The two places I see them coming in and out are located in the part that is just metal so I get two bats with one stone there. I don't have to try and seal up the attic. I'll just run screening across to separate the all metal part from the insulated part and they can enter through their customary slits. Thank you. I'm still wondering what kind of bat we had in there… Let me know when you get the [DNA] results. I've taken a sudden interest in bats. Robin

Church congregation involved in roost investigation, and interested in learning ways to modify their roost site (the Church belfry).

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Roost enhancement If landowners decided to remove bats from their roost site, the concept of installing a bat-house before sealing up the roost was discussed, as well as the timing of closure. Residents were advised to seal off a roost site during the winter months when bats were not likely to be in the roost, and if possible, to check the roost first to ensure there were no bats that could accidentally be sealed into the roost site.

Most landowners were very interested in building or buying a bat-house to promote bat populations. Over 60 bat-houses were built during the workshops that were offered as part of this project, providing a substantial increase in bat roosting habitat in the Slocan Valley. In addition, dozens of bat-house plans were provided to residents, who may have independently built bat-houses.

The partnership Jim Sharp was very valuable and mutually beneficial. The Project supported his business, and he provided a local source of bat-houses. The SVBP bought five of his bat-houses to provide to residents that may not have otherwise bought a bat-house. In addition, the Project biologists assisted some landowners with installing their bat-houses.

Mike Sarell installing bat-house for landowners in Galena Bay (left) and an example of a colour-appropriate bat-house for a heritage home in Nelson (right) .

It is hoped that there will be follow up in 2005 by contacting those people who built a bat-house at the workshop, requested bat-house plans, or ordered a bat-house from Mr. Sharp. Residents will be asked to monitor their bat-house for occupancy, and also for some general characteristics of where they installed it (e.g. height, aspect, location, etc.). Bat Conservation International Bat-house Monitoring forms were provided to some landowners, but it became apparent that the form was too long and detailed for most people to fill out. A modified form should be developed to distribute to landowners through the SVBP and Jim Sharp.

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Education and Awareness and Public Involvement “I was totally grossed out and frightened thinking that they [the bats] would start attacking… I remembered reading about the Slocan Valley Bat Project and decided to get in touch with them… Juliet is Amazing! She really made me feel quite comfortable and explained all the myths about bats.”

Shauna, Castlegar One of the greatest values of this project was the education and awareness component that was integral to each of the project activities. Through the public events and promotional materials, residents were provided with information about the importance of bats and bat conservation. One-on-one discussions with landowners provided them with the opportunity to see a bat up close that was taken from their barn or attic. It is difficult to measure the impact of that experience, although efforts were made to use a quantitative scale.

Children examining bat detector (left) and residents participating in roost search (right).

Many residents became interested in bats, and began to collect data and promote bat awareness to their neighbours. The project received numerous calls from people who had collected a dead bat, discovered a bat roost at a friend’s or neighbour’s house, or done an emergence count to provide information on the number of bats in their colony.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 For example, this email was written by a resident of Slocan:

Dear Juliet, It was so inspiring having you and Mike giving me and the neighbourhood the lowdown on our bats. I sat out one night and attempted to count them but realized that a lot of them weren't coming from my house but from across the street. I've talked one of the neighbours whose house is in the direction that they're coming from and she says that she certainly has bats. … My next-door-neighbour found a dead bat in the dirt right next to my back porch. From a distance looks a bit chewed up but it does have a head. It's now in the freezer so you can pick it up whenever it's convenient. Hope the fun continues. Talk to you soon, Margaret, Slocan City

The involvement of community-members in bat conservation holds great potential for the collection of long-term monitoring data. As residents become more aware of the ecology and conservation of bats, they become more interested in following their own colony. As a result, they can collect unique and valuable data that contributes to the conservation and understanding of bats. For example:

“Charles saw the Townsend's big-eared bat in his shed on Sept. 29. We'll have a look together near the end of this week.”

Lee, Galena Bay “I looked in the shed on Oct. 2nd, and the [Townsend’s big-eared] bats had left. I think they had been gone about two weeks. Probably because it was so wet and cold for so long, although we still haven't had a frost yet.”

Linda, Galena Bay

“Billy [a Townsend’s big-eared bat] has been around up until yesterday [October] the 16th, but I'll keep watching for him. Say, how does he know when to wake up if he goes into torpor during the day? We were checking on him and he was curled up real small during the day and then we went up before dusk and he had moved and was alert and watching us. Does he have a little alarm clock that wakes him up?”

Marlene, Perry’s Siding It is hoped that an annual Bat Count will be established to encourage community members to conduct an emergence count on a specific day. This data will be housed with the Slocan Valley Bat Project and monitored over several years. If this type of project was established in the long-term, data on population trends and bat biology (e.g. dates of arrival, birth, appearance of volant young, departure) could be gathered over decades, and be used for such research as climate change and bat conservation.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Evaluation of community-based bat project The project was extremely successful in terms of identifying roost sites, raising awareness about bats, and encouraging the public to become involved in conservation and management of bats and species at risk. Dozens of phone calls were received throughout the summer to report roost sites, request information or assistance, or provide data. Because this project focuses on community awareness and investigating human-made structures, the project compliments work that is currently being done by the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program on the blue-listed Townsend’s big-eared Bat in natural areas near Fort Shepherd, Pend D’Oreille and Creston areas.

Juliet Craig providing information to students at a local school about bats after a bat was accidentally killed the week before by overly curious children.

The unique objectives of this project provide an excellent example of a multi-faceted approach to conservation of species at risk. The project provides education about bats and their habitats, but also draws on local knowledge, support and interest to identify bat roost sites. Typically biological investigations and public awareness are approached separately and differently, with field-focused inventories, and extension in the form of brochures or public presentations. By integrating these two objectives into one project, this project can be considered a pilot project of its kind, and its success can lead to similar approaches to bat inventory and conservation work around the Columbia Basin Region.

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Recommendations Methods/Approach

1) Continue to promote the approach of a community-based bat inventory method throughout the Columbia Basin, and further afield.

2) Continue the project in a larger geographic area (e.g. West Kootenay) next year, and

rotate geographic areas over the years.

3) Maintain a two-biologist field crew that encourages volunteer assistance. 4) Acquire a 1-800 number for roost reports, and work towards making this number

available throughout BC.

5) Continue to collaborate with small businesses making and selling bat-houses.

6) Encourage landowners to monitor their bat colonies and collect and report data. Initiate an Annual Bat Count to encourage community members to collect data on a specific date every year.

7) Develop a shorter more “user-friendly” bat-house monitoring form to collect data

on characteristics of occupied and unoccupied bat-houses.

8) Provide school programs during winter months to continue education and awareness and encourage children to become involved.

9) Contact realtors, exterminators, roofers, and others who may encounter bats to make

them aware of the Project as a resource for them and landowners they assist.

10) Advertise the Project phone number through the Pennywise and other local classifieds, as well as through articles.

Conservation

11) Develop plan for Townsend’s bat-houses or modify an existing structure and install them in various locations, including the Galena Bay and Perry’s Siding properties.

12) Collaborate with Ministry of Highways to enhance bridge roosting habitat by either

providing rough siding (so bats can cling to it) or by installing bat-houses under or along the sides of bridges.

13) Develop plaques or window stickers to recognize landowners who are conserving or

enhancing bat habitat.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Scientific

14) Continue to examine the DNA of several bat species, especially that of little brown myotis and all long-eared myotis’, to confirm the identification of these bats and to contribute to the broader understanding of bat species genetics.

15) Collect more detailed roost site information including temperature, humidity,

structural dimensions, to better describe successful roost sites.

16) Collaborate with Interior Health to acquire data on bat locations and rabies and histoplasmosis incidents so that Project biologists maintain accurate and recent information.

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References

Barclay, R.M..R and R.M. Brigham. 2001. Year-to-year Reuse of Tree-roosts by California Bats (Myotis californicus) in Southern British Columbia. Am. Midl. Nat. 146:80-85.

Brigham, R.M., M.J. Vonhof, J.C. Gwilliam, and R.M.R. Barclay. 1997. Roosting behavior and roost-site preferences of forest-dwelling California bats (Myotis californicus). Journal of Mammalogy 78:1231-1239.

Caceres, M.C. 1998. The summer ecology of Myotis bat species in the interior wet-belt of British Columbia. Unpublished MSc Thesis, University of Calgary.

Conservation Data Centre (CDC). 2004. Tracking list for the Nelson Forest Region. Province of BC, Victoria, BC

COSEWIC: 2004. Canadian Species at Risk: May 2004. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada

Dewey, T. Graduate student, University of Michigan, MI, USA. Personal Communication.

Grindal, S.D. 1996. Habitat use by bats in fragmented forests. In Proceedings of a Bats and Forests Symposium, Victoria, BC, 19-21 October 1995. Edited by R.M.R. Barclay and R.M. Brigham. Work paper 23/1996, Resources Branch, Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC, p. 260-272.

Grindal, S.D., J.L. Morisette and R.M. Brigham. 1999. Concentration of bat activity in riparian habitats over an elevational gradient. Can. J. Zool. 77: 972-977.

Haney, A., M.J. Sarell and J.B. Runciman. 2002. Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation, TFL 56 Northern Long-Eared Bat inventory 2000-2002. Prepared for FRBC and the Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation, in conjunction with Silvatech Consulting Ltd.

Harding, L.E. 1998. First Records of Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) in Central Columbia Mountains, British Columbia. Prepared for Royal BC Museum, Victoria, BC.

Hebert, Marlene, Resident of Perry’s Siding, BC. Personal Communication.

Hill, T., A. Reid, M. Sarell, J. Gwilliam and R. Clarke. 2004. West Kootenay Townsend's Big-Eared Bat: Progress Report 2004. Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Nelson, BC. In Progress.

Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. 1998. Townsend’s Big-eared Bat. Brochure printed by Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria, BC.

Nagorsen, D.W. and R.M. Brigham. 1993. Bats of British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC.

Rasheed, S. and S. Holroyd. 1995. Roosting Habitat Assessment and Inventory of Bats in the Mica Compensation Area. Prepared for BC Hydro (Vancouver) and BC Environment (Nelson and Prince George), BC.

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Slocan Valley Bat Project Final Report December 31, 2004 Resource Inventory Committee. 1998. Inventory Methods for Bats: Standards for

Components of British Columbia’ Biodiversity No. 20. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria, BC.

Sarell, M.J., T. Hill and J. Gwilliam. 2003. Roosting behaviour of Townsend’s big-eared Bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) and comments on other bat species found at Fort Shepherd in the West Kootenay of British Columbia. Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Nelson, BC.

Schaeffer, L., L. Datchkoff, S. Bennett, and M. Sarell. 2002. Biodiversity inventory within the ICHxw at Fort Shepherd. Prepared for the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, Nelson, BC and the Trail Wildlife Association, Trail, BC.

Vonhof, M.J. 1996. Roost-site preferences of Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) and Silver-haired Bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) in the Pend d’Oreille Valley in Southern British Columbia. In Proceedings of a Bats and Forests Symposium, Victoria, BC, 19-21 October 1995. Edited by R.M.R. Barclay and R.M. Brigham. Work paper 23/1996, Resources Branch, Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC, p. 62-79.

Vonhof, M..J. and J.C. Gwilliam. 2000. A summary of bat research in the Pend d’Oreille valley in southeastern British Columbia. Report prepared for the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Nelson, B.C.

Vonhof, Maarten, Post-doctoral student, Princeton University, NJ, USA. Personal Communication.

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Appendices

31

Appendix A: Poster advertising the Slocan Valley Bat Project. This poster was developed by volunteer Tamara Smith, of Film Lovers in the Kootenays (FLIKS). - due to its file size, the poster is not included in the electronic copy of this report -

Appendix B: Newspaper articles about the Slocan Valley Bat Project from May to October, 2004.

Slocan Swami, May 4, 2004.

Slocan Swami, May 18, 2004.

Dr Science, Kootenay Express, May 19, 2004.

Slocan Valley Recreation Commission, Slocan Valley Rec Guide, May, 2004.

Nelson Daily News, May 21, 2004.

Valley Voice, May 26, 2004.

Kootenay Express, June 9, 2004

Nelson Daily News, June 24, 2004.

Castlegar Citizen, July 7, 2004.

Pennywise, August 3, 2004.

Valley Voice, August 4, 2004.

Nelson Daily News, August 5, 2004. (Note that photo caption is incorrect).

Appendix C: Radio Announcement read into the CBC’s community bulletin program in August, 2004. “Do you have bats in your belfry? Did you know that they might be a rare species? The Slocan Valley Bat Project was initiated this year to promote the conservation of local bats. You are encouraged to report your bats so biologists can come and visit your roost site and see what species you have. They’ll provide you with information about your bats and if you like, suggest methods of removing bats from your house in a sensitive way. To report your bats, call 352-2260 or email [email protected]. The Slocan Valley Bat Project also invites you to come out to the Winlaw Regional Nature Park this Saturday, August 14, at 8pm to join biologists who will be learning about local bat species by catching and releasing bats in mist-nets. This is a great opportunity to see live bats up close and everyone is welcome. Bring a flashlight and dress for mosquitoes. For more information on the Slocan Valley Bat Project, call 352-2260, email [email protected], or see our website, www.kootenaybats.com.”

Appendix D: Example of website homepage for www.kootenaybats.com. This website was constructed by volunteer, Sarah Roberts of Sunscript Designs. The text was written by Juliet Craig and reviewed and edited by Mike Sarell and Dr. Mark Brigham.

Appendix E: Newsletter for July, 2004 created for the Slocan Valley Bat Project. Special thanks to Angus Glass who assisted with the creation of this newsletter.

The Slocan Valley Bat Project July, 2004

For more information on the Slocan Valley Bat Project

Call Juliet Craig at (250) 352-2260 or email [email protected] Website: www.kootenaybats.com Drawings by Morgan Anderson.

Report your bats! Do you have bats? Did you know they might be a rare species? The Slocan Valley Bat Project was initiated in 2004 to raise awareness about bats and enhance and conserve bat roosting habitat. As part of this project, biologists are conducting an inventory of bats in the area. Please contact us so biologists can visit your roost site, identify the bat species and address your concerns.

Upcoming Events…

Come and see bats up close! Join biologists who will be mist-netting bats to identify them.

Saturday, July 10, 8pm Flying Hands Farm (3050 Summit Road) between New Denver and Nakusp.

Saturday, August 14, 8pm

Winlaw Regional Nature Park, 8pm.

These events are weather permitting. Come prepared for mosquitoes!

Buy a locally built bat-house and support a workshop for

disabled workers. Call 265-9956.

Should you remove your bats? There are several reasons why you may decide to maintain your colony of bats rather than try to get rid of them:

The roost site may be providing critical habitat for the bats and the chance of losing the colony will be reduced if they can stay where they are.

Bats are fascinating and provide

a learning environment, especially for children. Some landowners have even installed a viewing chamber to watch the bats without disturbing them.

Bats are long-lived (more than 30

years) unlike rodents and usually only have a single pup, making them more vulnerable to population decline.

Bats rarely carry rabies and will

sicken and die if they contract it, unlike some other animals that are unaffected carriers.

Most colonies in houses are

maternity colonies, used year-after-year.

Bats consume noxious pests

(mosquitoes), agricultural pests and forest pests.

Bat guano is an excellent

fertilizer.

Modifications for bats To decide if you need to get rid of the bats from your house, first identify the problems they are creating. Most peoples’ problems are often a bi-product of bats (e.g. noise, smell) rather than the bats themselves. Some of these issues can be addressed by the following:

Remove accumulated guano (collect all bat mummies for data).

Install a plastic barrier on floor

and caulk joints in floor to prevent odour movement to human living quarters.

Replace stained insulation.

Install a pre-sealed plywood floor

along human access routes and under roost(s) to catch guano and facilitate annual removal.

Special modifications and

maintenance will be required with hard-to-access roosts.

Removing bats If you would like to get the bats out of your house, here are some sensitive methods to try:

Install bat-houses in ideal areas nearby before you evict your bats

Wait until the fall or spring, after

bats have hibernated or migrated, before disturbing the colony

When the roost site is empty,

seal up all of the cracks to the roost site or set up a one-way door. Bats can get into spaces as small as 0.5cm so this may be a difficult task!

The Slocan Valley Bat Project July, 2004

For more information on the Slocan Valley Bat Project

Call Juliet Craig at (250) 352-2260 or email [email protected] Website: www.kootenaybats.com Drawings by Morgan Anderson.

News Flash A Townsend’s Big-eared Bat was confirmed just north of Winlaw. This blue-listed (vulnerable) species of bat has never before been recorded in the area. This exciting find confirms that this species is present in the Valley, and indicates that there may be more colonies nearby.

General facts about bats From horror movies to health warnings, societal attitudes about bats are typically extremely negative. Many people view bats as being ugly, scary, nasty little creatures who are harmful blood-sucking pests. Both this type of public attitude, and limited available habitat that is under threat in BC, have contributed to the general decline of bat populations around the world. Subsequently many of our bat species are listed as vulnerable or threatened (Red- and Blue-listed). As people continue to exterminate bats from their houses, actively kill bats when they come across them (which is illegal without a permit), or inadvertently destroy bat roost sites, bats as a whole remain threatened. Here are some of the real facts about bats:

Bats are found on every continent except Antarctica and there are over 1000 species of bats in the world.

There are 16 species of bats in

BC (17 if you count the one record of a Big Free-tailed Bat that washed up in 1938 in New Westminster).

Bats are not rodents, but rather

belong to their own group of mammals or “Order” called Chiroptera which means “hand-wing”. In fact, bats are far more closely related to primates (such as monkeys and humans) than they are to rodents.

Different groups of bats eat

different things. There are groups of bats that eat fruit, nectar, insects, mammals, fish, and blood. Only three species of bats in the world eat blood and these are the vampire bats of Central and South America. All bats in Canada eat nothing but insects and in most cases, only flying insects.

Bats are not blind. They have

eyes and can see, likely better than we can under dimly lit conditions. Some bats (Flying foxes found in the Old World) navigate using vision alone and appear to be able to see even better than owls!

Bats in Canada navigate and find

prey mostly using echolocation. Bats emit regular calls (at the intensity of screams) and then listen to the echo of their voice. It is such an amazing system that the US Navy studies bats to improve human-developed sonar systems.

Bats in Canada either hibernate or migrate in winter. Little is known about bat hibernation sites, especially in western Canada. Bats are extremely sensitive to disturbance when they are hibernating, and should be left alone.

Bats expend a huge amount of

energy to fly. As a result, they try to save energy when they can. They regularly use a system called “torpor” where they lower their heart rate, metabolism and body temperature and go into a deep sleep-like condition.

The saliva of vampire bats

contains an anti-coagulant that allows the blood to keep flowing after a bite so that the bat can lap up the blood. This chemical is being used as a treatment for strokes because it can help dissolve blood clots in the brain.

The Slocan Valley Bat Project is

funded by the Columbia Basin Trust and supported by the

Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program

Appendix F: Handout for residents on where to put their bat-house.

For more information on the Slocan Valley Bat Project, call Juliet Craig at (250) 352-2260 or email [email protected]; 915 Vernon Street, Nelson, BC, V1L 4G7; www.kootenaybats.com

Slocan Valley Bat Project: Where to put your bat-house

The following information was excerpted and summarized from The Bat House Builder’s Handbook (Merlin D. Tuttle and Donna L. Hensley) by staff from the Kaslo Nature at Night Festival. Mounting: Ideally bat houses should be mounted on poles or buildings. Houses mounted on trees or metal siding are seldom used. Wood or stone buildings with proper solar exposure are excellent choices, and locations under the eaves often have been successful. Mounting two bat houses back to back on poles is ideal. Place houses ¾ inch apart and cover both with a galvanized metal roof to protect the center roosting space from rain. All bat houses should be mounted at least 4 m above ground; 5 to 6 m. Bat houses should not be lit by bright lights. Sun Exposure: The best aspect to mount your house in the Slocan Valley area is east or south-east facing. Houses where high temperatures in July average 27°C or less should receive at least 10 hours of sun; more is better. At least six hours of direct daily sun are recommended for all bat houses where daily high temperatures in July average less than 38°C. Full, all-day sun is often the most successful in all but the hottest climates. Habitat: Most nursery colonies of bats choose roosts within 400 m of water, preferably a stream, river or lake. Greatest bat house success has been achieved in areas of diverse habitat, especially where there is a mixture of varied agricultural use and natural vegetation. Bat houses are most likely to succeed in regions where bats are already attempting to live in buildings. Wood Treatment: For the exterior, apply three coats of exterior grade, water-based paint or stain. Available observations suggest that colour should be black where average high temperatures in July are less than 29°C, dark colours (such as dark brown or dark gray) where they are 29°C to 35°C, medium colours where they are 35°C to 38°C and white or light colours where they exceed 38°C. Much depends upon amount of sun exposure; adjust to darker colours for less sun. For the interior, use two coats black, exterior grade, water-based stain. Apply stain after creating scratches or grooves or prior to stapling plastic mesh. Paint fills roves, making them unusable. Protection from Predators: Houses mounted on sides of buildings or on metal poles provide the best protection from predators. Metal predator guards may be helpful, especially on wooden poles. Bat houses may be found more quickly if located along forest or water edges where bats tend to fly; however, they should be placed at least 6 to 7 m from the nearest tree branches, wires or other potential patches for aerial predators. Avoiding Uninvited Guests: Wasps can be a problem before bats fully occupy a house. Use of ¾ inch (2 cm) roosting spaces reduces wasp use. If nests accumulate, they should be removed in late winter or early spring before either wasps or bats return. Open-bottom houses greatly reduce problems with birds, mice, squirrels or parasites, and guano doesn’t accumulate inside. Timing: Bat houses can be installed at any time of the year, but are more likely to be used during their first summer if installed before the bats return in spring. When using bat houses in conjunction with excluding a colony from a building, install the bat houses at least two to six weeks before the actual eviction if possible. Importance of Local Experimentation: It is best to test for local needs before putting up more than three to six houses, especially comparing those of different darkness and sun exposure.

Appendix G: Monitoring form provided for residents to collect data on their bat colony.

Slocan Valley Bat Project: Bat-House Monitoring Form Thank you for participating in the Slocan Valley Bat Project by monitoring your bat-house. You are encouraged to monitor your bat-house one evening per week from May to October. Please send your results to the Slocan Valley Bat Project (address/email below). It is recommended that you start watching your bat-house ½ hour before sunset, and stay for 30 to 45 minutes. Name: _______________________________ Phone: __________________________

Address: _____________________________ Email: __________________________

Bat-house ID Number: _______________ (please give your bat-house a unique number)

Bat-house Data Form completed and sent to Slocan Valley Bat Project? Yes ٱ No ٱ

Comments:

Date Time started Time

ended Number of bats emerging

Comments

For more information on the Slocan Valley Bat Project, call Juliet Craig at (250) 352-2260 or email [email protected]; 915 Vernon Street, Nelson, BC, V1L 4G7; www.kootenaybats.com

Appendix H: Data form used for Slocan Valley Bat Project.

Slocan Valley Bat Project, 915 Vernon Street, Nelson, BC, V1L 4G7 Phone: (250) 352-2260

Email: [email protected] www.kootenaybats.com

Slocan Valley Bat Project Data Form

Name: ______________________ Phone: ________________ Email: ________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________________

Directions to property: ________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Date of visit: _________ Found out by: drop-in visit ڤ programڤ posterڤ newspaperڤ websiteڤ friendڤ

other: Landowner Perspectives: Doesn’t like bats.

Wants them out. Wants bats out but will put up bat-house before sealing space to encourage conservation

Doesn’t mind having bats in house and recognizes importance of bat conservation.

Excited about bats. Wants to enhance/ conserve habitat.

Other:

Pre-visit Post-visit Roost site data:

UTM: Zone 11 Easting: __ __ __ __ __ __ Northing: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Elevation: __________

Description of Roost:_________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Previous Disturbances to Roost: ________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Year bats first seen: _________ Usual arrival date: ___________ Usual departure date: ____________

Temp:_______ Humidity: ______ Aspect: _______ Height above ground: _______ Height within: _____

Comments:

Slocan Valley Bat Project, 915 Vernon Street, Nelson, BC, V1L 4G7 Phone: (250) 352-2260

Email: [email protected] www.kootenaybats.com

For mist-netting: Time open: _____ Time closed: ______ Temp start: ________ Temp end: _________ # nets: ______ Bat species present:

Species # AM

# AF

Reprod

# AU

# J

Total #

Fore-arm

(mm)

Ear (mm) Keel Wt

(g) Comments

Comments about Bat ID: Recommendations: Information given to landowner: Newsletter about SVBP ٱ Bat-house plans ٱ BCI Bat-house registry form ٱ Bat-house monitoring form ٱ Townsend’s Big-eared Bat pamphlet ٱ Follow-up required:

Appendix I: Maps showing roost sites and observation locations for 2004. - due to their file size, most maps are not included in the electronic copy of this report

(only the overview map is included) -

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the slocan valley bat project: a community approach to bat

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