From the urgent (you’ve been touched or bitten) to the everyday (a bat in your house), fast guidance for every kind of encounter.
Found a bat →Bats roost in attics, awnings, barns, sometimes for decades. Here’s how to coexist safely, manage a colony, or report one on a property you’re buying or selling.
See all in Got bats? →Bat biology, BC’s 15 species, real-world safety, white-nose syndrome, and the conservation science that shapes our work.
See all in About bats →Summer evening bat counts, acoustic surveillance, ambassador training, Bat-Friendly Community certification, bat boxes. The province-wide network runs on people.
See all in Help bats →Guides, downloads, and outreach materials tailored to who you are, a homeowner, a teacher, a kid, an industry partner.
See all in Resources →Reach a regional coordinator, get in touch with us, browse the latest, or meet the partners and funders behind the work.
See all in Connect → Support our work DonateSeasonal bat news, program milestones, and stories from the province-wide network of community bat coordinators.
We are proud to announce that the BC Community Bat Program’s Bat Friendly Community Certification has been used as a template by the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) to expand the program across Canada.
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Help us fundraise! We’ve made things easy! Donate your empty beverage containers for bat conservation through Return-It Express Depots around BC! To get started: Get the Return-it App The BC Community Bat Program has a network of coordinators throughout BC that have worked throug
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A sudden loss of funding grants has left the BC Community Bat Program at risk, and we need YOUR help to continue this critical work. The BC Community Bat Program has a network of coordinators throughout BC that have worked through the years to protect and restore bat habitat acro
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The BC Community Bat Program (CBP) is a network of regional programs that provide a province-wide approach to bat conservation. Established in 2014, it is implemented by local established stewardship organizations or bat projects in each region, who have access to shared outreach
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We are excited to announce that the Township of Langley has committed to the conservation of local bat species and has successfully met all the criteria to become a certified Bat-Friendly Community! Mayor Eric Woodward welcomed Terri-Lou and Ron Trainer, Certified BC Bat Ambassad
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Thank you to all our partners and volunteers who participated in the BC Annual Bat Count in the summer of 2025. The counts so far indicate healthy bat populations as there were no consistent declines detected in any of the bat count sites. This is worth celebrating! The BC Annual
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The BC Community Bat Program is asking the public for reports of dead bats and daytime bat activity in an effort to detect white-nose syndrome, a fatal disease, caused by a fungus, that has killed millions of bats. BC bats are essential to our ecosystems and provide substantial e
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Nous sommes heureux de vous présenter la nouvelle version française de la brochure Communautés amies des chauves-souris (C.-B.). Découvrez pourquoi les chauves-souris sont si importantes, ce dont elles ont besoin pour survivre et comment chacun peut contribuer à leur protection.
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The BC Community Bat Program is encouraging residents to celebrate Bat Week 2025, an international celebration of bats and their importance to ecosystems and communities. Bat Week runs from October 24 to 31, 2025. Residents can learn more about bats by visiting a local library, n
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Did you know that a Little Brown Myotis can eat 600 mosquitoes in an hour? Not only do bats devour mosquitoes, but the bats of BC also eat other night-time insects that are considered pests to the agricultural and forest industries. “Smaller bat species eat the smaller insects, w
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Volunteers Needed for the BC Annual Bat Count The BC Community Bat Program is calling for volunteers to get involved in the BC Annual Bat Count. Starting June 1st, bat biologists and volunteers will be enjoying late nights, counting bats at maternity roosts throughout the provinc
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Recognizing the important role that bats play in the ecosystem, the City of Penticton is proud to announce that it has achieved the necessary steps to become a certified Bat-Friendly Community. This certification highlights the City’s commitment to preserving and enhancing bat ha
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The BC Community Bat Programs are encouraging residents to celebrate Bat Appreciation Day on April 17, 2025. It’s a great day to learn about bats and how amazing and important they are. BC has the highest diversity of bats in Canada, with at least 15 different species. “Bats are
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The BC Annual Bat Count is a summer emergence count of bats at day roosts in human-made structures (e.g. houses, barns, bat boxes). Begun in 2012, we now have data on seven bat species from 7967 counts at 1008 sites around the province. The BC Annual Bat Count report and a summar
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The BC Community Bat Programs, in collaboration with the Province of BC, are asking the public for help in the effort to detect and prevent the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats. Residents are urged to report any bat activity observed in winter and any sick or dead bats
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Bat Ambassadors have been working hard and formed a Bat-Friendly Community team comprised of the Langley Field Naturalists, Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS), and Metro-Vancouver Community Bat Program. The team worked with the Langley City Environmental Sustainability
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Halloween images of spooky bats and blood-sucking vampires are popular. However, they have also created fear and misconceptions about these important animals. International Bat Week is from October 24 – 31st, and it’s a great time to bust some myths. The BC Community Bat Programs
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It’s August and bat pups are learning to fly and leaving their summer roosts. The BC Community Bat Programs get many reports of bats found in unusual spots like entryways, on the ground, or even flying into a house if the door is left open. This is normal at this time of year. Pl
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The Community Bat Programs of BC invite you to embrace your connection to bats by wearing clothing that supports bat conservation. These unique clothing items have been created by BC artists passionate about bats. Fundraising efforts will go to the Community Bat Programs of BC to
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The BC Community Bat Program is calling for volunteers to get involved in the BC Annual Bat Count. Starting June 1st, bat biologists and volunteers will be enjoying late nights, counting bats at maternity roosts throughout the province.
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Last year, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats was detected in Grand Forks, BC. This winter and spring, the BC Community Bat Program, in collaboration with the Province of BC, is asking the public for help in the effort to detect and prevent the spread of WNS
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Bats are getting injured or even squished by roll up blinds and power awnings that provide shade to homes in the summer. The BC Community Bat Program is actively seeking assistance to assess how common this is and address it accordingly. Bats are important wildlife that provide n
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Thanks to the effort of hundreds of volunteers and partners throughout BC, the BC Community Bat Program in partnership with the BC government has been able to successfully write our 7th Annual Bat Count Report. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging fungal disease that results
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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 bene
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The Town of Comox has officially been designated the first Bat Friendly Community on Vancouver Island. The certification is endorsed by the BC Community Bat Program, a science-based network of biologists who promote awareness and stewardship of bats across the province. The Town
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Are you noticing more bats around your house or property? You are not alone! Mid-summer is the time when landowners typically notice more bat activity, may have bats flying into their house, and occasionally find a bat on the ground or roosting in unusual locations. These surpris
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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
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It is white-nose surveillance season… please help report dead bats and early spring bat activity The province’s bats are threatened by disease and researchers are asking the public for help. White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease responsible for the death of millions of bats
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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 bene
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Are you noticing more bats around your house or property? You are not alone! Mid-summer is the time when landowners typically notice more bat activity, may have bats flying into their house, and occasionally find a bat on the ground or roosting in unusual locations. In most cases
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Spring is here and bats are returning to summer roost sites. One of our more familiar species in buildings and bat boxes is the Little Brown Myotis. Like all BC bats, the Little Brown Myotis is an essential part of our ecology, consuming many insect pests each night. Unfortunatel
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The BC Community Bat Program aims to share current, accurate information about bats in BC, and issues around bat and human health. Our program strives to educate people about bats and dispel misinformation that may lead to persecution of bats. We are not public health experts or
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One of the key goals of the WNS Action Plan is to bring awareness to BC citizens and governments of the urgency and imminence of this disease, and the cascading ecological and economic ramifications that may follow if nothing is done to address this unprecedented wildlife crisis.
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Human health is intertwined with wildlife and environmental health. Bat populations are declining and bat conservation is important. Consider all the facts before becoming afraid. Stop the persecution of bats. To get your facts straight, please follow these links: Bat Conservatio
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November 1 marks the start of the winter White-nose Syndrome Surveillance period. The Bc Community Bat Program, in collaboration with the Province of BC, is once again asking the public to report any dead bats in an effort to determine the distribution of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS
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The “Got Bats?” initiative promotes conservation of bats on private land, provides a resource to landowners dealing with bat issues, and engages citizen scientists to collect data on bat populations. Half of the 16 species of bats in BC are of conservation concern, including spec
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