黑马磁力 Township will look into becoming a bat-friendly community at the urging of some local wildlife advocates.
Terri-Lou and Ron Trainer of the BC Community Bat Program spoke to the Township's mayor and council on Monday, June 9, urging them to make the Township officially bat-friendly.
鈥淏ats are an essential part of the wildlife community in British Columbia," said Terri-Lou. "B.C. is home to 16 species of bats, and many of these are common visitors right here in our own Township.鈥�
She said that the small flying mammals are major predators of insects, including mosquitoes and common agricultural pests such as aphids and stink bugs. Having a healthy bat population can save agriculture billions of dollars be reducing crop damage and the need for pesticides, Terri-Lou said.
But bats are at risk from collisions with vehicles, wind turbines, light pollution, predation by domestic cats, and the threats of extreme heat, fire, and flood brought by climate change.
They also breed very slowly, said Terri-Lou, with just one pup a year, and half of those don't survive to adulthood.
The little brown bat and the northern myotis are now both endangered in Canada, she said.
鈥淔ew wild animals are more dependent on people for survival than bats.鈥�
Becoming a bat-friendly community is mostly about education and outreach, with the BC Community Bat Program working with other local groups and habitat activists. Terri-Lou said there would be outreach work done at events like Rivers Day and Earth Day around the community.
Terri-Lou and Ron also spoke about the importance of bat houses as habitat, and mentioned that Oct. 24 to 31 is Bat Week in B.C.
Councillor Kim Richter asked that staff look into the bat-friendly designation, and her motion was approved by a unanimous vote of the council.
