Tag: bats

mypubliclands:

#BatWeek: Be a bat hero!

Far from scary, bats enrich our lives by protecting American forests and agriculture from damaging insect pests and supporting plant pollination. These small creatures have a huge impact, and Bat Week is a great time to share their important contributions and think about what we can do to help them!

The Bureau of Land Management and our partners protect bats by increasing the quality and availability of bat roosting and foraging habitat. The BLM and Bat Conservation International work together to identify abandoned mines that are no longer suitable for mining, conduct surveys to assess bat habitat and population health that provide suitable habitat through bat-friendly mine closures. These closures help protect public safety, while providing habitat for dwindling bat populations.

There are many steps any member of the public can take to protect bats! Here are a few from our friends at Bat Conservation International:

  • Turn out the lights! Light pollution affects insect populations, disrupts bats as they migrate, and deters sensitive bat species.
  • Reduce, reuse, recycle! The overwhelming amount of garbage produced each year — hundreds of millions of tons in America alone — is one of the biggest hurdles to a healthy environment for bats and humans.
  • Learn more about your local habitat and ecological relationships. Read about bats online or attend a Bat Week event.
  • Help your friends and family understand that bats are beneficial and need our help.
  • If you can, plant a garden. You’ll have food and flowers, and you’ll attract insects that feed the bats. Consider creating a compost pile to add to the garden, recycle food scraps and attract even more, yummy bat food.
  • Volunteer! Parks, zoos, nature centers, conservancies, rehabilitation centers, museums, etc., rely on volunteers to help educate visitors, care for animals or take leadership roles. Your time is an invaluable gift.

Find out what else you can do at BatWeek.org.

Bat Week starts today and runs through Wednesday, October 31. This #BatWeek, and every week, the Bureau of Land Management is proud to work with partners to manage and conserve habitat for bats across the nation. Visit blm.gov/bat-week  to learn more about the BLM’s bat resources.