Bat Week is Oct 24-31
As Halloween approaches, images of scary bats become commonplace. This is the perfect time of year to counter bat myths and do something to help bats, by taking part in International Bat Week (October 24-31). Bat Week is all about appreciating these amazing animals and their benefits, including eating insects, pollinating flowers, and spreading seeds and nutrients.
This year we are focusing on bat-friendly gardening to create bat habitats in urban and rural landscapes!
- Try planting native plants as well as plants with light-coloured and night-blooming flowers to attract nocturnal insects for bats to forage on.
- Turn off unnecessary lights to create a dark haven.
- Keep cats indoors.
- Be sure to remove invasive species that can affect insect insect communities and even harm bats, such Burdock (Arctium minimus).
- Find more ideas in our Bat-friendly Communities Guide or the Wildlife Habitat Council webinar on Creating bat-friendly gardens and urban habitats to help prevent bat extinction
Take a moment to learn about the many ways bats contribute to our lives, and what you can do locally for bats, at www.batweek.org or through the BC Community Bat Program at www.bcbats.ca. Research bats online, watch a bat cam (e.g. https://batworld.org/bat-cams/), help restore a wetland, learn about bat-friendly community initiatives, clean and maintain your bat box for next spring… there are many ways to participate and support bats!