Engaging in Bat Conservation – A Critical Need
April 17, 2026, is Bat Appreciation Day to recognize the amazing role bats play in the health of our ecosystems. This date too, brings awareness to the fact that these wonderful mammals are waking from hibernation or returning from wintering areas to begin their nightly foraging flights here. The eight species we have identified for SḴŦAḴ I Mayne Island are an intrinsic part of our community and deserve everything we can do to protect and conserve their habitats and lifecycle components.
The Need for Population Data
Bats on the Southern Gulf Islands are not very well studied, so the collecting of data is very important. Knowing bat populations and their distribution is essential to understanding their role within the ecosystem. Like birds, bats flourish in stable ecosystems. In this way, they act as an indicator of a healthy environment. Tracking bat population growth and decline can also help the Conservancy detect disease outbreaks and changes in the environment, and make predictions on how populations may change in the future. It is also critical that we understand where these bats are located, particularly their day roosting, nursery and hibernation sites.
This has now become vitally important knowing that the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans or “Pd”that is associated with White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has now been detected in a dead bat found in Delta, BC. No signs of WNS have been reported, however. This is the second confirmed detection of Pd in B.C., the other being in the Kootenays. WNS has killed millions of bats in other parts of North America and has slowly been spreading westward. As of writing this article, WNS has now been confirmed in the southern Alberta Rockies at a hibernation site. This is the farthest west detection for Canada.
Why Conserve Bats?
Bat conservation is particularly compelling because it impacts us all. Although nocturnal and less often observed than some other animals, bats are literally everywhere. They interact daily with the same fields, forests, and waterways that we do. Likewise, their role in maintaining the health of local ecosystems and human economies is bigger than you realize.
Ensuring bat survival also means protecting roosts and feeding areas for all bats. Large dead snags, manmade structures, caves and rock fissures are perfect locations for bats to roost in during the day. Open water areas, wetlands, riparian corridors, and forest edges are key feeding habitats for bat species. Where natural or building roosts are in short supply or the roosts must be moved, the installation of bat boxes, in appropriate habitats, can provide ideal spots for bats to safely rest, while caves and rock fissures are ideal for overwintering sites.
What the Conservancy is Doing
The Conservancy’s primary bat program goals are to locate the natural roosts and hibernating sites wherever they exist, and to work with the landholders on their long-term conservation. The use and installation of bat boxes is a secondary goal. It is critical that we understand where these roosts are located. By knowing exactly where they exist, we can then work towards ensuring that those locations are protected or that bat boxes are installed to substitute for changing conditions.
How You Can Help
At this time of year, you can start looking for signs that bats are becoming active again. You can observe them foraging from dusk onwards, and where they roost for the day, you may discover their guano (droppings) on the ground. Just make a note of when and where you see either of these activities, the date, time, and location would be great, and send to michael@mayneconservancy.ca. If warranted, we will come to your property to collect guano samples up to May 30, 2026, to be tested for Pd fungus.
We will launch our 2026 Bat Roost Monitoring program in early June and will look at contacts we have had about bat activity and if a roost site is likely. We will also be returning to the known roosts and doing counts through July and August. For new sites, we are particularly interested in any roosts in snags and rock fissures. Our 2025 survey of bat activities away from known roost sites suggests that there are many more sites so far undetected within the forests and cliffs of our island.
If you find a dead bat on your property, do not handle it with your bare hands—use heavy leather or rubber gloves, place it in a sealed plastic bag, and then put it in a freezer. Please contact the Mayne Island Conservancy so that we can immediately collect the bat for testing and analysis. We will be taking dead bats until May 30, 2026. Alternatively, you can report dead bats to the B.C. Community Bat Conservation Program at BCBats@gmail.com. They will provide you with instructions on what to do.
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