Email icon Back to Search

The City of Port Moody invites the public to go “Batty for Bats!” at a free information session about bat conservation in Port Moody. 

“Bats are in decline across North America, so conservation efforts are important,” says Lesley Douglas, General Manager of Environment and Parks. “Despite their spooky reputation, bats are incredibly helpful. Due to their love of dining on a buffet of crop pests, their benefit to agriculture alone has been valued at billions of dollars per year. Just one of Port Moody’s small, local bats can eat 12,000 mosquitoes and other small flies in a single night.” 

“Batty for Bats!” is happening at Old Orchard Hall (646 Bentley Road) from 7 to 9pm on Wednesday, October 18, 2017. There is no cost to attend, but advance registration is required. Please email environment@portmoody.ca or phone 604-469-4628. 

At the information session, attendees will learn about bats, their important ecological role, and what Port Moody is doing to help the city’s bat population. 

“The City will be installing two bat boxes, one in Rocky Point Park and one in Old Orchard Park, to support new bat colonies,” continues Douglas. “Each box can house about 30 bats. These specially-constructed boxes provide important habitat for bats, giving them a safe place to roost during the day.” 

The information session will include presentations by the following experts:

  • Erin Rutherford is a bat researcher and restoration planner who has conducted South Coast species inventory and monitoring programs, as well as education and community outreach, for the last nine years. Erin’s key research interests are bats and wetland ecosystems, and she has developed numerous bat ecology education programs now in use throughout British Columbia.
  • John Saremba is a member of the Burke Mountain Naturalists Bat Monitoring Team. He has worked with Kiyoshi Takahashi for the last two years to compile a detailed inventory of bat roosts and monitoring data in the Tri-Cities area. Using various methods, John and Kiyoshi have discovered that Shoreline Park in Port Moody is great bat habitat.
  • Kiyoshi Takahashi is a member of the Burke Mountain Naturalists Bat Monitoring Team who has made enormous contributions to bat conservation in the Lower Mainland with his valuable skills and expertise in bat ecology, as well as the construction and placement of bat boxes.