U of S research and outreach coordinator Lauren MacDonald at Meadow Lake Library on Monday. (submitted photo/Meadow Lake Library)

By Angela Brown

Endangered species

U of S researcher visits local libraries for bat study

Oct 24, 2023 | 3:58 PM

A University of Saskatchewan (U of S) researcher was in Meadow Lake and North Battleford yesterday to give a talk about bats in communities across the province.

Lauren MacDonald, research and outreach coordinator, is touring various libraries throughout Saskatchewan this fall and into next spring to discuss the U of S project to discover more about two endangered species – the Little Brown bat and the Northern Long-Eared Myotis bat that are at risk, due to a disease called White Nose Syndrome.

“We’re looking to see what creates a healthier bat,” she said. “We’re hoping to catch bats and find if they are nearby a healthier habitat, or if they are in a warmer roost, or some small features like that. If it creates a healthier bat, we can maybe hope to implement that on a larger scale for other populations of bats, to give them the best chance of being able to survive the disease.”

North Battleford and Meadow Lake were the last stops on MacDonald’s schedule for this fall.

The Little Brown bat, left, and the Northern Long-Eared Myotis bat, right. (submitted photos/Jason Headley and Marlo Perdicas)

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During her visit, MacDonald handed out bat detector kits, people can use as “citizen scientists,” to find out if there are any bats in their area.

There are a couple dozen kits that are now out, in basically all of Saskatchewan.

MacDonald distributed the kits at libraries because they are a central place for the community to meet and check out the devices.

“Working with librarians has been excellent,” she said. “They have been so enthusiastic about the project. The libraries are a great place [to give the kits], which get barcoded, just like a book would be, and folks are able to [borrow the kit], as long as they have a library card.”

The bat detector kit includes an Echo Meter Touch, a little device that plugs into a phone, and operates as a tiny ultrasound microphone.

“There is a free app associated with it,” MacDonald said. “When you download the app, you plug the microphone in. It picks up any bats that are flying overhead, their echo location.”

The app also pops up with an identification of the active bats that are moving overhead.

“Different bats have different echo-location sounds. We’re able to use just their calls to be able to identify what species is flying,” MacDonald said.

The multi-year project is being conducted by the University of Saskatchewan as well as government agencies, and scientists within the government.

“We’re hoping to research and then develop policy for the best management and conservation of these endangered, hibernating bats,” MacDonald said.

Meadow Lake library program co-ordinator Tawn Marshall found MacDonald’s talk illuminating, especially since she loves bats.

“It was fantastic,” she said of the presentation. “It was very entertaining.”

Since many bats hibernate during the winter, people may not be able to try out the kits until next spring.

“We do have one or two bats that spend a couple of nights [around the library] over the summer, hanging out outside where we have our lights,” Marshall added. “We are always delighted. They just spend a couple of days up in a corner, and we get to say ‘Hi’ to them each summer, and leave them alone… I love bats because they are fantastic hunters. They help with insect control, and they are part of our ecosystem. They are such interesting little mammals.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow