| Bats take up residence at Deas Island Regional Park | Bats take up residence at Deas Island Regional Park | <div class="ExternalClass09AEA03CBDCF4D44879898A5E256B316"><p>Not many people know, but Deas Island Regional Park is home to the largest nursery colony of bats in B.C. </p><p>At least 2,400 bats live in the maternity colony at Deas Island Regional Park -- although when the young are born in summer, the numbers may go up to about 3,500. Two species live there: the little brown bat (<em>Myotis lucifugus</em>) – an endangered species – and the Yuma bat (<em>Myotis yumanensis</em>). Both rely on the habitat at Deas Island Regional Park and the surrounding area for food: mainly insects and thousands of mosquitoes.</p><p>Metro Vancouver Regional Parks is working with the South Coast Bat Conservation Society to monitor the regional park’s bat population. Efforts started in the summer of 2016 to establish a monitoring program at Burrvilla, a 1905 heritage building, where the bat colony residents in the attic. Every week or two from June to mid-August, the team counts bats as they emerge to hunt for insects at sunset.</p><p>This year, the work expanded. In addition to weekly counts of emerging bats, the team initiated a pilot mark-recapture study. Bats were caught in mist-nets and implanted with radio tags for monitoring. As bats can live up to 30 years in captivity, the pilot study can help assess the status and population trends for this significant bat colony.</p><p>Park visitors have also been able to enjoy this natural spectacle through interpretive programs, using their eyes and ears to watch and listen to the bats as they fly out at night to feast on a buffet of insects. Regional park interpreters help dispel myths about bats, and show the important connections that regional parks play as places to connect people and nature.</p><p><a href="https://vimeo.com/231004536" target="_blank">Watch this video</a> about the bat monitoring project.</p></div> | http://www.metrovancouver.org/metroupdate/PublishingImages/issue37-bats.jpg | 2017-11-30T08:00:00Z | GP0|#5c5e82e4-401f-43a6-8f66-b0acc99b3d56;L0|#05c5e82e4-401f-43a6-8f66-b0acc99b3d56|Issue 37;GTSet|#d14ffe11-45dc-48fb-8684-ff109cf15a74 | <div class="ExternalClassF0105B3DD10C4B148D10B665995FF772"><p>Not many people know, but Deas Island Regional Park is home to the largest nursery colony of bats in B.C. At least 2,400 bats live in the maternity colony at Deas Island -- although when the young are born in summer, the numbers may go up to about 3,500. </p></div> | 0 | |
