About the Event
The volunteer appreciation gathering kicked off amidst the woodlands of the Wye Marsh Conservation Area in Midland on December 10, 2023. The gathering celebrated the hard work of the 22 Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) citizen volunteers who collected data on bats in MNO Region 7 over the past 5 months!
The Bat Conservation initiative is a collaboration with the Georgian Bay Traditional Territory Consultation Committee, The Toronto Zoo and The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO).
The Appreciation Event consisted of a vibrant Sunday morning filled with community learning, which included:
- A presentation of the study results,
- An educational lesson on bats by the Toronto Zoo,
- And a delicious lunch spread!
Every MNO volunteer received a small token of gratitude for their dedication and hard work on this project.
Our sincere appreciation goes out to all MNO citizen participants and partners for their contributions, making this endeavor possible!
How did Region 7 citizens participate?
The volunteer scientists set up acoustic monitoring systems outside their homes, which were able to identify certain sounds and frequencies specific to bats. The Native Bat Conservation Program will analyze this collected data and gather information on bat types, feeding locations, etc.
This type of monitoring is vital as half of the bat species in Ontario are endangered, and more data is required in order to monitor and conserve wild bats.
Facts about Bats
- All of the bats in Ontario are insectivores- meaning they eat insects, primarily moths, beetles, and sometimes mosquitoes;
- Bat research focuses on listening to bats’ Echolocation: sounds they produced to find their way. Echolocating animals emit calls and listen to the echoes of those calls that return from various objects around them;
- In Ontario, eight bat species are known to live here:
- The Following are Endangered: Tri-coloured Bat, Eastern Small-footed Myotis, Northern Myotis, and Little Brown Myotis.
- Non-Endangered: Big Brown Bat
- Potentially Endangered as of 2023: Eastern Red Bat, Hoary Bat, Silver-haired Bat
- Bats, indeed, should not be taken for granted. Some reasons for the loss of bats are:
- White-nose Syndrome;
- Wind Turbines;
- Habitat Loss and Climate Change.
- Bats are the only mammal that can fly, which they do in order to travel and catch food.
How can YOU get Involved?
Stay tuned for additional details regarding upcoming volunteer opportunities that support bat-related initiatives!
For details about the project, please visit Toronto Zoo | Bats and check out this excellent guide on Bat Conservation by The Toronto Zoo.
Let’s join together to ensure the survival of these extraordinary creatures!