Some libraries across British Columbia offer Bat Packs that you can sign out to explore the bats in your community. The BC Community Bat Program works with libraries to make these kits available to the public, so visit your library and ask if they have a Bat Pack you can borrow.
Everything to get outside.
Whether you’re simply curious about our environment or a seasoned naturalist, learning about the bat species in your neighbourhood advances science and benefits all of us. Grab a Bat Pack and get outside.
Each kit contains
- A backpack to carry it all.
- A Bat EchoMeter detector device (Android or iOS versions available).
- A quick-start guide.
- The BC Bat-Friendly Communities Guide.
- Other learning resources.
Contents may vary slightly between libraries.
Listen for bats flying by.
The Bat EchoMeter plugs into your Android or iOS device. Head outside in the evening and the detector listens for the high-frequency echolocation calls bats make as they fly. Like songbirds, each species has a distinctive call, so the detector can tell you which bat just passed overhead.
How it works
Plug the EchoMeter into your phone or tablet, then watch and listen as it picks up calls from bats flying by.
Where to go
Try foraging grounds near wetlands, lakes, streams, or parks, especially where there are existing bat colonies or bat boxes.
When to listen
You’re likely to detect bats from May to September across most of BC, in the warm hours around dusk.
Ask at your local library.
Visit your library and ask if they have a Bat Pack you can sign out. Here are some of the libraries that already lend them.
- Chetwynd Library
- Dawson Creek Library
- Fraser Valley Regional Library
- Gibsons Regional Library
- Kootenay Library Federation
- Okanagan Regional Library
- Penticton Library
- Port Moody Library
- Terry Fox Library
- Thompson-Nicola Regional Library
If your library has a Bat Pack and it isn’t listed here, please let us know by emailing info@bcbats.ca.
Bring one to your community.
If you work at a library that doesn’t yet have a Bat Pack, please consider creating one. Get in touch with one of our regional bat coordinators for advice on how to get started.
Some libraries promote their Bat Packs and bat books on Bat Appreciation Day (April 17). Another great chance to celebrate bats is Bat Week, at the end of October around Halloween.