Bats are not the terrifying creatures of the night that media leads us to believe, but rather bats are beneficial mammals, with a major role in pollination and seed dispersal. While Pennsylvania boasts nine species of bats, there are five species confirmed at Nockamixon State Park : big brown, little brown, red, silver-haired and hoary.
Volunteer Responsibilities
The Bat volunteers focus on emergence counts of maternity colonies. They also conduct park-wide surveys to determine the extent of bat hunting grounds and seasonal movements.
Volunteers record GPS data, weather conditions and the presence of other wildlife in the vicinity. They also note unusual behavior within the bat colony.
The group builds, installs and repairs bat boxes located within the park. They look for invading predators and remove wasp nests during the colder months.
Availability and Time Commitment
Bat volunteers meet biweekly as a group just prior to sunset from April through September to count bats. Volunteers use flashlights, counters, and monitoring tools to aid in the count.
Bat Project article by Jennifer Foulk
