How To Help Protect Bats
Volunteer with local parks to remove invasive species that threaten bat habitat.
Contribute to citizen science projects to collect bat data.
Reduce your use of pesticides.
Plant flowers to attract night pollinators.
Install a bat box in your yard or community.
Don’t bother bats and call a professional if there’s one in your house.
Keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities focused on bat research.
Be a bat hero by celebrating Bat Week October 24-31st (and all year).
Read: Saving Bats from Decline
Create a Bat Habitat
Install a place for bats to live and roost.See the page "Bat Boxes" for more information.
Create a habitat that appeals to bats.
Tips and Guidelines
How to Attract Bats to Your Backyard
Reduce predators around bat box and do not forget that pets can also prey upon bats so make sure to keep your dog or cat away from bat boxes.
Predators of bats.
Provide food for the bat. Plant vegetation that attracts night insects for the bats to eat. You can also provide plants for the pollinator bats.
Plants that attract night insects.
Plants that bats pollinate.
More info on plants.
Additional reading
The importance of ponds for the conservation of bats in urban landscapes
Transform your garden into a backyard bat haven
Turn your whole garden into a real-life bat signal
Yes, You Want to Attract Bats to Your Yard and Here's Why
Bat Guano is Gold
Guano, also known as bat feces, is a very valuable fertilizer. It is high in nitrogen and phosphorus and very beneficial to your garden. If you have bats on your property, it is best to save it and use it in your garden. As with any animal feces, please use rubber gloves when handling the guano.
GUANO: BATS' GIFT to GARDENERS
The Importance of Bat Guano
Bat Benefits for Your Garden
Bat Week
Every year the last week of October (24-31) is dedicated to Bat Week. Many organizations around the country and world hold various events during this time. It is also the time for Halloween in the United States and when bats get a negative rap. So it is during this time that we need to really step up and put an end to all the negativity. Read more about Bat Week.
Bat Roost Monitoring
Many states offer volunteer positions for interested people who would like to monitor local bat roosts. It is fun staying up and watch the bats emerge from their roost at night. The information collected is given to the state agency so they can keep track of species and locations. If interested, contact your local Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Bat Rehabilitation Centers, colleges or other areas that deal with wildlife. If you cannot find anything, check with other local, state and federal agencies if they know about any programs.
Roost Count - National Bat Monitoring Programm
Donate! Donate! Donate!
Agencies that help save bats around the world are run and financed by people just like you and me. So they rely on us to help fund the projects needed to continue their journey of protecting the bats. These are just a few places where you may donate. You can also find more organizations under the "resources" tab.
- Bat Conservation and Management
- Bat Conservation International
- Bat Conservation Trust (UK)
- Bat World Sanctuary
- White Nose Syndrome (help with cost of ending a fungus killing disease on bats - read more)
Talk To Others
Bats may be the most understood animal in nature. It is up to us to help inform others about bats and the truth. When we hear people talk about pollinators, the main topic are bees. What about bats? They are also a very important pollinator and we need to make sure others know that. Read more ...
Does the local girl scouts or boy scouts have any activities that teach the kids about bats? If not, talk to them about implementing it into their activities. Check out the "Fun" page.
Does your local park have bat boxes? If not, talk to them about getting a box or two installed. Do not take no for an answer and do not let them sit on the idea. It is your park and you have the right to keep on them about installing a few boxes. If needed, start getting signatures and get the community involved to where they are forced to listen to you.
Many organizations have handouts on their site that you can print out to distribute. Take advantage of environmental events or other events in your area and hand them out to others. Check them out and make copies to hand out.
Bat Conservation International
White Nose Syndrome
Fundraising
There are fundraising events for almost everything imaginable so why not for bats? Create a local event to raise money and donate it to a bat organization that you support. Make sure to let the public know exactly what organization their money will benefit.
Read more on Bat Conservation Trust
Additional Ideas
Bat World
Read More ...
Bats of Ohio: Benefits, endangered species, and how you can help
Eek! Bat Populations Are Shrinking. Here Are A Few Ways to Help
Bats can live in colonies or alone. It depends on species and time of season.
Questions or Comments
4Batconservation@gmail.com
4Batconservation@gmail.com
