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Councillor Samantha Agtarap (left) and Mayor Meghan Lahti (right) plant bat-friendly plants – species that attract food for bats such as moth caterpillars and other insects – outside City Hall on International Bat Appreciate Day, April 17, 2023;

Councillor Samantha Agtarap (left) and Mayor Meghan Lahti (right) plant bat-friendly plants – species that attract food for bats such as moth caterpillars and other insects – outside City Hall on International Bat Appreciate Day, April 17, 2023; 

Port Moody has received certification as a bat-friendly community from the Community Bat Programs of BC. 

This designation is earned through meeting bat conservation criteria such as protecting, creating, or enhancing habitat, and committing to ongoing bat habitat conservation and education. Port Moody is the fifth B.C. community to be certified as bat-friendly, after Dawson Creek, Peachland, Richmond, and Delta. 

“Seeking bat-friendly community status was a recommendation that came from our Environmental Protection Committee in 2022 and our Council was pleased to support it,” said Mayor Meghan Lahti. “We know that stewardship and management of bats and their roost sites is important for the future of bats in B.C. Ensuring we have a resilient natural environment is a high priority for Council and the City, and we’re committed to improving bat habitat and sharing information with the community about why it’s important to protect bats and bat colonies.” 

Nine different bat species have been observed in our area, including the endangered Little Brown Myotis. Port Moody’s natural areas provide important habitat for bats, particularly along the Shoreline Trail and around Westhill Park. Bats play important ecosystem roles, such as controlling insect populations (like mosquitos) and pollinating plants. Learn more about bats and the certification program for bat-friendly communities at bcbats.ca. 

Local volunteers, including Burke Mountain Naturalists, make ongoing, vital contributions to bat conservation work in our community. For example, they monitor Port Moody bats and care for bat boxes in the city. BCIT students have also played an important role, through a recent ecological study to assess bat habitat around Shoreline Trail. 

The City is working to enhance wildlife-friendly habitats and has recently planted bat-friendly garden beds in three locations: Pioneer Memorial Park (275 Knowle Street), Westhill Park (203 Westhill Park), and outside the Civic Centre (100 Newport Drive). Flowering plants such as Nootka rose, mock orange, and hardhack will support local bats by attracting or hosting moth caterpillars and other insects that make up our local bats’ food source. 

Port Moody residents can support bats by landscaping with native species, reducing bright outdoor lights at night, and removing an invasive plant called Burdock, which can trap bats. Visit portmoody.ca/wildlife or contact environment@portmoody.ca to learn more.