ODFW
ODFW
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon State University-Cascades
$18,542
Two of Oregon’s rarest and most striking bats, the spotted bat and pallid bat, produce echolocation calls audible to the unaided human ear. These are desert-dwelling bats that can be heard during summer evenings as they fly from their cliff-face homes in pursuit of a dinner menu that consists of large moths, crickets, and even an occasional scorpion. Adventurers for the audible bats is a community-supported scientific survey of these unique Oregonian wildlife that informs our understanding of where and when these species occur and how we can help them persist in an era of rapid environmental change. Our adventurers are a dedicated cadre of Oregonian humans from all kinds of communities that stroll through urban parks, hike along mountain meadows, and scramble up desert canyons in search of the sounds of spotted bats and pallid bats. At sunset we settle in for some focused listening time – nature sounds sometimes include owls and nighthawks, a coyote in the distance, and of course the bats themselves. We record our findings with our phone app and head home, grateful for the opportunity to pitch in and contribute to Oregon wildlife conservation and to have had another outdoor adventure. We coordinate ourselves and tap into the North American Bat Monitoring Program’s scientific survey architecture for maximum impact. Along the way we train and practice our listening skills and learn about all 15 of the bat species that live in Oregon. Most of these bats, including our targeted species, are high priority species of concern to the Oregon Conservation Strategy and are in great need of more help. Come join us in our adventures!