Friends Count Bats Again This Year

The weekend of June 4th will be the 6th year that Friends’ members have participated in the Great Wisconsin Bat Count. This Citizen Science opportunity takes place all across the State on one evening in early June, and again in mid-July. Friends volunteers count at the Les Vogt Fish Hatchery building where little brown bats roost for the summer and raise their young. This state-wide survey is an important tool to help researchers monitor the number of bats that have been affected by white-nose syndrome (WNS), a white, powdery fungus that grows on the bat’s muzzle, and eventually causes death. At one time, over 600 bats roosted in the fish hatchery building, but by 2018, that number dropped to 9, due to WNS. If you’d like to be part of the Great Wisconsin Bat Count this summer, contact Kathy at info@northpikescreek.org. The post-volancy count (after pups start flying) will take place the weekend of July 15-17.