For Summer 2023, Bat Conservation International (BCI) field techs will continue the second year of BCI's NABat-One Health Project to conduct acoustic surveys of bats in California NABat GRTS cells. Acoustic sampling involves deploying bat detectors for between four and seven consecutive nights. Survey locations are accessed at the beginning and end of the survey period to deploy and retrieve the detector but otherwise do not need maintenance or attendance. Detectors are elevated off the ground using a painter’s pole that is stabilized with guy lines tied off to stakes, rocks, fence posts, etc. The technique is non-invasive and there is no sign of their presence after the equipment is retrieved. The detectors emit no sound or light, do not record video or human voices, and only record high-frequency sounds (echolocation calls) at night.

Approved