Alberta Community Bat Program/Western Bat Program 🦇
@albertabats.bsky.social
Alberta Community Bat Program (www.albertabats.ca). Promoting bat conservation, stewardship & education. A program of WCS Canada (Wildlife Conservation Society Canada) and a member of the WCS Canada Western Bat Program.
🦇A lot of people think bats try to “get tangled in your hair.”
Nope. These animals fly with precision that would make any fighter pilot jealous. If a bat brushes past you, it chose that line on purpose - and it could’ve flown through a smaller gap if it wanted to.
Nope. These animals fly with precision that would make any fighter pilot jealous. If a bat brushes past you, it chose that line on purpose - and it could’ve flown through a smaller gap if it wanted to.
November 25, 2025 at 8:05 PM
🦇A lot of people think bats try to “get tangled in your hair.”
Nope. These animals fly with precision that would make any fighter pilot jealous. If a bat brushes past you, it chose that line on purpose - and it could’ve flown through a smaller gap if it wanted to.
Nope. These animals fly with precision that would make any fighter pilot jealous. If a bat brushes past you, it chose that line on purpose - and it could’ve flown through a smaller gap if it wanted to.
Bat fact: Bats eat their body weight in insects every night. That’s the equivalent of a 180-lb guy crushing 180 lbs of chicken wings before sunrise. Respect the efficiency.
November 24, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Bat fact: Bats eat their body weight in insects every night. That’s the equivalent of a 180-lb guy crushing 180 lbs of chicken wings before sunrise. Respect the efficiency.
🦇Here’s the truth: Alberta’s bats are working night shift every single day to keep our forests and crops healthy.
If they disappeared, we’d feel it fast - more pests, more damage, more pesticides.
Small animals. Big impact.
If they disappeared, we’d feel it fast - more pests, more damage, more pesticides.
Small animals. Big impact.
November 23, 2025 at 12:16 AM
🦇Here’s the truth: Alberta’s bats are working night shift every single day to keep our forests and crops healthy.
If they disappeared, we’d feel it fast - more pests, more damage, more pesticides.
Small animals. Big impact.
If they disappeared, we’d feel it fast - more pests, more damage, more pesticides.
Small animals. Big impact.
🦇White-nose syndrome moves fast &hits hard.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it.
Protecting bat habitat, supporting our probiotic project with community involvement, and supporting bat conservation actually matters.
If you care about ecosystems, bats aren’t optional players - they’re core staff.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it.
Protecting bat habitat, supporting our probiotic project with community involvement, and supporting bat conservation actually matters.
If you care about ecosystems, bats aren’t optional players - they’re core staff.
November 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
🦇White-nose syndrome moves fast &hits hard.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it.
Protecting bat habitat, supporting our probiotic project with community involvement, and supporting bat conservation actually matters.
If you care about ecosystems, bats aren’t optional players - they’re core staff.
We don’t have the luxury of ignoring it.
Protecting bat habitat, supporting our probiotic project with community involvement, and supporting bat conservation actually matters.
If you care about ecosystems, bats aren’t optional players - they’re core staff.
🦇Male bats in Alberta aren’t belting out love songs - but some species do produce complex ultrasonic calls that might be part of their mating strategy.
Bat dating is all about performance: up to 40 kHz of “check out my skills.” (see comments for audio!)
Bat dating is all about performance: up to 40 kHz of “check out my skills.” (see comments for audio!)
November 17, 2025 at 7:22 PM
🦇Male bats in Alberta aren’t belting out love songs - but some species do produce complex ultrasonic calls that might be part of their mating strategy.
Bat dating is all about performance: up to 40 kHz of “check out my skills.” (see comments for audio!)
Bat dating is all about performance: up to 40 kHz of “check out my skills.” (see comments for audio!)
🦇Most bats only have one pup a year. One.
That means every lost bat is a long-term hit to the population.
Conservation isn’t “nice to have.” It’s necessary if we want bats to stick around.
That means every lost bat is a long-term hit to the population.
Conservation isn’t “nice to have.” It’s necessary if we want bats to stick around.
November 14, 2025 at 10:10 PM
🦇Most bats only have one pup a year. One.
That means every lost bat is a long-term hit to the population.
Conservation isn’t “nice to have.” It’s necessary if we want bats to stick around.
That means every lost bat is a long-term hit to the population.
Conservation isn’t “nice to have.” It’s necessary if we want bats to stick around.
🦇 ICYMI
We’ve updated our Bat Ambassador Guide for teachers, interpreters, and anyone sharing bat knowledge. It’s free and packed with outreach tips and Alberta bat info.
Link in comments!
We’ve updated our Bat Ambassador Guide for teachers, interpreters, and anyone sharing bat knowledge. It’s free and packed with outreach tips and Alberta bat info.
Link in comments!
November 10, 2025 at 6:51 PM
🦇 ICYMI
We’ve updated our Bat Ambassador Guide for teachers, interpreters, and anyone sharing bat knowledge. It’s free and packed with outreach tips and Alberta bat info.
Link in comments!
We’ve updated our Bat Ambassador Guide for teachers, interpreters, and anyone sharing bat knowledge. It’s free and packed with outreach tips and Alberta bat info.
Link in comments!
🦇Signs of white-nose syndrome in bats was first noted in upper New York State in 2006! So, the fungus was probably here a couple of years before that. www.whitenosesyndrome.org has tracked the spread. Estimates are that we have lost 10million+ bats since 2006.
November 6, 2025 at 4:54 PM
🦇Signs of white-nose syndrome in bats was first noted in upper New York State in 2006! So, the fungus was probably here a couple of years before that. www.whitenosesyndrome.org has tracked the spread. Estimates are that we have lost 10million+ bats since 2006.
LOL! When your colleagues start looking the same in their field photos...an update with the addition of one of our key field/project people on our BC Team! Sorry Heather!
October 27, 2025 at 8:50 PM
LOL! When your colleagues start looking the same in their field photos...an update with the addition of one of our key field/project people on our BC Team! Sorry Heather!
We talked to over 1,000 people this past Sat/Sun at @telus-spark.bsky.social !! Lots of good conversations about bats & lots of fun crafting! We had questions from bat boxes to white-nose syndrome to how bats avoid cancer! Photos by star volunteer Natasha Gidluck. #BatWeek #YYC
October 27, 2025 at 7:18 PM
We talked to over 1,000 people this past Sat/Sun at @telus-spark.bsky.social !! Lots of good conversations about bats & lots of fun crafting! We had questions from bat boxes to white-nose syndrome to how bats avoid cancer! Photos by star volunteer Natasha Gidluck. #BatWeek #YYC
Our #BatTeam is spread over two provinces - but we work together to help protect, conserve and better understand bats. #HappyBatWeek from the @wcscanada.org Western Bat Program!
October 27, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Our #BatTeam is spread over two provinces - but we work together to help protect, conserve and better understand bats. #HappyBatWeek from the @wcscanada.org Western Bat Program!
🦇And so it begins! #BatWeek2025! Celebrate bat week by sharing bat facts, donating to bat research & outreach, learn something new about bats - or go to batweek.org to get some new ideas! Happy Bat Week everybody!
October 24, 2025 at 5:44 PM
🦇And so it begins! #BatWeek2025! Celebrate bat week by sharing bat facts, donating to bat research & outreach, learn something new about bats - or go to batweek.org to get some new ideas! Happy Bat Week everybody!
October 23, 2025 at 11:53 PM
#OctoberForBats #BatWeek2025
Help support the bats this month! And gear up to celebrate them the last week of October - it's BAT WEEK! See www.albertabats.ca for details on how to participate in "October For Bats"! 🦇
Help support the bats this month! And gear up to celebrate them the last week of October - it's BAT WEEK! See www.albertabats.ca for details on how to participate in "October For Bats"! 🦇
October 22, 2025 at 8:05 PM
#OctoberForBats #BatWeek2025
Help support the bats this month! And gear up to celebrate them the last week of October - it's BAT WEEK! See www.albertabats.ca for details on how to participate in "October For Bats"! 🦇
Help support the bats this month! And gear up to celebrate them the last week of October - it's BAT WEEK! See www.albertabats.ca for details on how to participate in "October For Bats"! 🦇
Our Winter Bats project is underway! Detectors across Alberta are listening for winter bat activity - evidence of nearby hibernacula. Using a predictive map (created by our summer intern with our input), we’re narrowing down the search for wintering sites. Stay tuned for updates! 🦇❄️ #BatResearch
October 19, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Our Winter Bats project is underway! Detectors across Alberta are listening for winter bat activity - evidence of nearby hibernacula. Using a predictive map (created by our summer intern with our input), we’re narrowing down the search for wintering sites. Stay tuned for updates! 🦇❄️ #BatResearch
Oh you need to connect with some UK bat nerds! I suggest @batconservation.bsky.social Bat Conservation Trust. They have loads of volunteers with bat detectors and good knowledge of local bat fauna. You have some fantastic ones. Noctules that eat birds! Long-eared Bats (spectacular) & Horseshoe bats!
October 18, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Oh you need to connect with some UK bat nerds! I suggest @batconservation.bsky.social Bat Conservation Trust. They have loads of volunteers with bat detectors and good knowledge of local bat fauna. You have some fantastic ones. Noctules that eat birds! Long-eared Bats (spectacular) & Horseshoe bats!
#HappyThanksgiving2025 🍁🦇
Give thanks to bats! Alberta’s bats munch millions of insects, saving farmers & foresters on pest control—and helping our health by reducing pesticide use. Overlooked & underappreciated, these tiny insectivores quietly make life better for us all. #ThankABat
Give thanks to bats! Alberta’s bats munch millions of insects, saving farmers & foresters on pest control—and helping our health by reducing pesticide use. Overlooked & underappreciated, these tiny insectivores quietly make life better for us all. #ThankABat
October 13, 2025 at 5:35 PM
#HappyThanksgiving2025 🍁🦇
Give thanks to bats! Alberta’s bats munch millions of insects, saving farmers & foresters on pest control—and helping our health by reducing pesticide use. Overlooked & underappreciated, these tiny insectivores quietly make life better for us all. #ThankABat
Give thanks to bats! Alberta’s bats munch millions of insects, saving farmers & foresters on pest control—and helping our health by reducing pesticide use. Overlooked & underappreciated, these tiny insectivores quietly make life better for us all. #ThankABat
Dr Rodrigo Medellin "The Batman of Mexico" was in Edmonton this past week for the 53rd North American Bat Conference! We caught him signing one of our Alberta Bat activity guides for an attendee's son (who is apparently a fan!). Who could blame him! Rodrigo is an amazing person & biologist!
October 13, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Dr Rodrigo Medellin "The Batman of Mexico" was in Edmonton this past week for the 53rd North American Bat Conference! We caught him signing one of our Alberta Bat activity guides for an attendee's son (who is apparently a fan!). Who could blame him! Rodrigo is an amazing person & biologist!
#OctoberForBats 🦇 Together, we can make a difference for bats! This month, let's rally behind bat research and outreach programs by fundraising and spreading awareness. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us, help bats. Learn how you can participate and donate at www.albertabats.ca 💡
October 5, 2025 at 11:27 PM
#OctoberForBats 🦇 Together, we can make a difference for bats! This month, let's rally behind bat research and outreach programs by fundraising and spreading awareness. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps us, help bats. Learn how you can participate and donate at www.albertabats.ca 💡
58-60million years ago this thing lived in Columbia - with I would imagine some very present-day looking bat species! "The Bat Cave" at the Royal Ontario Museum is pretty amazing work. He's a pretty amazing sculptor!
October 3, 2025 at 3:53 PM
58-60million years ago this thing lived in Columbia - with I would imagine some very present-day looking bat species! "The Bat Cave" at the Royal Ontario Museum is pretty amazing work. He's a pretty amazing sculptor!
🦇The fungus behind white-nose syndrome continues to spread across Alberta. Our latest detection, near Fort McKay, marks the northernmost detection yet. Thank you to our partners at the Wood Buffalo Wildlife Research Institute for collecting this sample. See maps at www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/white_nose_s...
October 2, 2025 at 3:18 PM
🦇The fungus behind white-nose syndrome continues to spread across Alberta. Our latest detection, near Fort McKay, marks the northernmost detection yet. Thank you to our partners at the Wood Buffalo Wildlife Research Institute for collecting this sample. See maps at www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/white_nose_s...
Last year we raised $4K with our October fundraiser! It was fun to see our supporter's different campaigns! One raised $$ using her streaming channel! Funds support both our research & outreach programs - and we super appreciate the support! #BatsNeedFriends
October 2, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Last year we raised $4K with our October fundraiser! It was fun to see our supporter's different campaigns! One raised $$ using her streaming channel! Funds support both our research & outreach programs - and we super appreciate the support! #BatsNeedFriends
RIP Jane Goodall. A remarkable life. An inspiration to many, especially women who embarked on their own journeys in field biology and wildlife conservation upon reading about her life and her work. Indeed, we all have our part in looking after our planet. Do some good today and make a difference.
October 1, 2025 at 11:29 PM
RIP Jane Goodall. A remarkable life. An inspiration to many, especially women who embarked on their own journeys in field biology and wildlife conservation upon reading about her life and her work. Indeed, we all have our part in looking after our planet. Do some good today and make a difference.
Feeling this one again! 😀🦇
We need to do a tally of our outreach events & numbers of people reached for 2025! It has been busy!
We need to do a tally of our outreach events & numbers of people reached for 2025! It has been busy!
September 22, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Feeling this one again! 😀🦇
We need to do a tally of our outreach events & numbers of people reached for 2025! It has been busy!
We need to do a tally of our outreach events & numbers of people reached for 2025! It has been busy!
🌳🦇 New infographic! We’re creating bat roosting habitat in trees. Many species won’t use bat houses, but these alternate structures are working! A great option for forests lacking natural roost sites. #Bats #Habitat #Conservation
September 21, 2025 at 3:40 PM
🌳🦇 New infographic! We’re creating bat roosting habitat in trees. Many species won’t use bat houses, but these alternate structures are working! A great option for forests lacking natural roost sites. #Bats #Habitat #Conservation