A Nova Scotia non-profit is asking people to “adopt” a bat in a bid to educate Maritimers about a rare species, while supporting bat conservation.
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profit → ask → conservation
The Nature Trust of Nova Scotia has launched the Adopt a Tri-coloured Bat initiative, in support of one of the smallest bat species in North America.
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Trust → launch → America
The winged mammals only weigh about the weight of a Toonie but play a big role in the region’s ecosystems.
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mammals → weigh → ecosystems
“They’re a keystone species,” said Lucas Greville, a Mount Allison University professor and bat researcher.
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Greville → ’re → ?
“They’re going to be eating and taking care of a lot of moths, beetles, general pests.
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They → go → moths
So they’re something we really want to have around.
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we → ’re → ?
Maritime bat populations were devastated by white-nose syndrome in the early 2010s.
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populations → devastate → 2010s
The white fungus grows on the bats’ muzzles, wings, and ears during hibernation.
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fungus → grow → hibernation
The syndrome constantly wakes bats up during hibernation and depletes their resources.
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syndrome → wake → resources
It’s estimated that the populations of all six native species declined by upwards of 95 per cent.
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populations → estimate → cent
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“We’re talking thousands of bats just lying dead in their hibernation sites.
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We → get → sites
Since then, we’ve started to see a slow incline over the last handful of years, specifically of the little brown bats,” said Greville.
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Greville → start → bats
“There’s likely some genetic resilience that the individuals who are surviving white-nose now display, as all bats that are surviving today have experienced this fungus and disease in some capacity.”
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that → ’ → capacity
On average, the bats give birth to two pups per litter, making repopulation a slow process.
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repopulation → give → litter
“They’re a beautiful part of nature and as bat biologists, we often say the scariest part about a bat is a world without them,” said Greville.
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Greville → ’re → them
Jaimee Morozoff, the Nova Scotia Nature Trust’s director of conservation, says money raised in their Adopt a Tri-coloured Bat initiative will go directly toward land stewardship and habitat protection.
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money → say → stewardship
“They are unique to Nova Scotia in the way that they are roosting with the Old Man’s Beard (lichen), which is, you know, a really charismatic, typical Nova Scotia forest indicator,” said Morozoff.
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Morozoff → roost → Beard
“It’s really critical that we’re able to protect the places where those remaining bats are still roosting and surviving.
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bats → ’ → places
Donors will receive exclusive artwork and a personalized “adoption certificate.”
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Donors → receive → artwork
“Last year, we redesigned the full program with the Nova Scotia lettering and mural artist named Kristen DePalma.
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we → redesign → artist
This is a really nice way to support that collaboration, support a local artist, and also help conservation at the same time,” said the trust’s communications manager, Anna Weinstein.
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manager → support → time
As part of conservation efforts, bat sightings can be reported online at batconservation.ca or by calling the Atlantic Bat Hotline at 1-833-434-2287 (BATS).
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sightings → report → BATS
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