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Collaborative Projects Gather Data About Bats in the Garden State

Friday, August 18th, 2023

by Leah Wells, Assistant Wildlife Biologist

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) works hard every summer to protect New Jersey’s bats by employing continuous research, education and outreach endeavors. Our Summer Bat Count project and Mobile Acoustic Surveys, both in collaboration with the State’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP), are essential components of these efforts, enabling us to gather and document crucial information about bat populations within the state.

Since 2003, the Summer Bat Count project has relied upon the commitment of dedicated volunteers. Equipped with only a fresh set of eyes, these volunteers tally bat populations at known summer roost sites, whether it be a bat house, attic, bridge or church. The project’s primary goal is to gain a deeper insight into the distribution of bats across the state, their preferred roosting conditions and the fluctuations in population over time. While the outcomes of this year’s survey are still pending, emergence surveys during the 2022 maternity season revealed a noteworthy increase in bats for a particular roost in Warren County. This roost has been consistently monitored, with data dating back before the introduction of White-nose Syndrome.

Big brown bats inside a bat house.
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Northeast Bat Working Group Conference

Tuesday, January 24th, 2023

by Meaghan Lyon, Wildlife Biologist

This past week, CWF biologist Meaghan Lyon attended the Northeast Bat Working Group (NEBWG) annual meeting with her fellow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) New Jersey Field Office colleagues in snowy Burlington, Vermont. The NEBWG meeting brings together scientists, conservationists, educators, and enthusiasts to teach and learn about the most current bat research and tools to help improve our work in the field.

The annual meeting provided opportunities to learn about current research findings through presentations and poster sessions, as well as interact with fellow professionals from across the Northeast. Topics of interest included Myotis species updates for the range, impacts of renewable energies like wind farms, survey techniques, and diseases like white nose syndrome. A special training session was also offered to conference attendees focusing on the use of night vision aids for monitoring bats.

These meetings foster a sense of community among biologists and inspire new approaches for studying and conserving bats.

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Northern Long-eared Bat, An Endangered Species

Wednesday, November 30th, 2022

by Meaghan Lyon, Wildlife Biologist

It’s official. The Northern long-eared bat is listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Endangered Species Act. Earlier this year, the USFWS announced the proposed uplisting due to severe population declines. This uplisting would help to protect and recover this imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend on.

A Northern long-eared bat is held in a gloved hand- these bats are less that 4 inches long with a wingspan of 9-10 inches.

Through the Endangered Species Act, species may be listed as either endangered or threatened. The term “Threatened” means a species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. The term “Endangered” means a species is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

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Fact or Myth? The Ecological Importance of Bats

Tuesday, November 1st, 2022

by Meaghan Lyon, Wildlife Biologist

It’s that time of year again, the days are getting shorter, temperatures are dropping, and creatures of the night are lurking behind shadowy corners. As Halloween approaches one animal comes to the forefront of everyone’s mind – bats.

Bats have been misunderstood by humans for many years and are still among the most persecuted animals on earth. In many parts of the world, bats are killed due to fear or harmful myths that make them seem scary or even dangerous. However, the fact is that bats are one of the most beneficial animals to humans.

Photo Caption: Bats are in the order Chiroptera, meaning “Hand-wing”. This skeleton shows how the wing of bats has a very similar structure to that of the human hand.
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Another Bat Species in Peril

Tuesday, October 11th, 2022

by Meaghan Lyon, Wildlife Biologist

Shortly after the USFWS announced that the Northern long-eared bat was being proposed for uplisting to an endangered species, another announcement regarding the tricolored bat was released.

Tricolored Bats
Photo by Pete Pattavina/USFWS

In mid-September, the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) was proposed to be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Based on a thorough review of the species’ status, the Service found that the tricolored bat has declined dramatically across its range. Just as white-nose syndrome has been the cause of population decline for the northern long-eared bat, the tricolored bat has been similarly impacted. An estimated decline of more than 90 percent was found in affected tricolored bat colonies and white-nose syndrome is currently present across 59 percent of the species’ range.

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