An environmental group is looking to help local bat populations and you can too.
The Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve is taking on a two-year project to track endangered bats in the Parry Sound area. An example of an endangered species is the Little Brown Bat, which has been heavily affected by a disease known as white-nose syndrome. The fungal disease was spread into North America from Europe in 2006 and officials believe it has killed about 7 million of these bats since. Through this project, GBBR has put bat houses at Waubuno Beach & Park in Parry Sound and Britt Public School.
Biosphere staff say you can get involved with the project by installing a bat house on your property and keeping track of bats that might use it. You can do this by watching around dusk to see how many bats are using the house. You can report bat sightings on your property or anywhere in Parry Sound by calling Delina Arnold at 705-774-0978 or emailing [email protected].