GOT BATS? Summer Volunteers Needed: Trainings to be Held in Castleton (June 21) and Ferrisburgh (June 27)

By -

CASTLETON and FERRISBURGH, Vt. – The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is looking for volunteer citizen scientists to count bats in the greater Champlain Valley and a few other sites around the state this summer. Long-term monitoring is critical to the management and recovery of endangered little brown bats in Vermont. Volunteers will receive training at this event and be matched with monitoring sites after learning about these rare, insect-eating mammals. The events start at 7:30 and finish after dusk, around 9:30.

  • Bomoseen State Park, 22 Cedar Mountain Road, Castleton, VT on June 21 (Rain date June 22)
  • Rokeby Museum, 4334 Route 7, Ferrisburgh, VT on June 27 (Rain date June 28)
Alyssa Bennett is the Small Mammals Biologist at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, where she works mainly on the conservation and recovery of Vermont’s nine bat species. Bennett will provide a 30-minute presentation about Vermont bats, their natural history and threats, and ways the public can help conserve bats and enhance their habitats.

The presentation will be immediately followed by a training for volunteers interested in monitoring colonies of state-endangered little brown bats this summer. Volunteer citizen scientists will learn how to count bats exiting their roosts between sunset and just after dusk. Interested volunteers are then matched with colony sites around the state for periodic monitoring between July 11 and 30. Amy Dohner from the Ferrisburgh Conservation Commission will be at the Rokeby Museum event to organize local volunteers monitoring bats at Kingsland Bay State Park. She can also be contacted at 802-434-7245.

“Vermont’s endangered little brown bats suffered massive population declines of up to 90% due to the deadly fungal disease, White-nose Syndrome,” said Bennett. “This species depends upon us for their continued survival because of their preference for roosting in buildings and bat houses. Thanks to the help of dedicated citizen scientists who monitor these rare colonies of female bats and their young, we have shown that the remaining population appears to be holding steady in our state.”
 
The talks and trainings are free and open to the public. To find out if an event is cancelled due to weather, please call 802-786-0098 on the day of the event and listen to the recorded message.

For Immediate Release: June 6, 2018
Media Contacts:  Alyssa Bennett, Vt Fish & Wildlife, 802-786-0098; Catherine Brooks, Rokeby Museum (802) 877-3406, Amy Dohner, Ferrisburgh Conservation Commission (802) 434-7245

Popular posts from this blog

Vermont Youth Waterfowl Hunting, Sept. 29-30

By -
Image
MONTPELIER, Vt. -- A youngster’s first hunt can mark the beginning of a lifelong passion for the outdoors and a commitment to wildlife conservation.  There is no finer time to begin this journey than during Vermont’s upcoming youth waterfowl hunting weekend on September 29 and 30. “Vermont’s youth waterfowl hunting weekend helps ensure that young hunters get the quality training and experiences they need for lifelong participation,” said Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Louis Porter.  “By design, the youth weekend hunt reinforces the route of initiation that is critical in recruitment -- learning from an experienced adult role model.” On September 29 and 30, hunters 17 years of age or younger may hunt ducks and geese in the Lake Champlain and Interior Vermont waterfowl hunting zones.  The age requirement is 15 and under in the Connecticut River zone according to the following conditions.  The youth hunter must have a Vermont hunting license and must be accompanied by an un
Read more

Safe Composting in Bear Country

By -
Image
MONTPELIER, Vt. – Bears in Vermont are thinking ahead to winter and, looking to fatten up, are currently in search of easy calories. Compost can become a bear attractant – as with trash bins, bird feeders, and pet food – if not properly managed. Fortunately, Vermonters can minimize conflicts over compost by taking a few extra steps, according to Forrest Hammond, bear project leader with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “With more Vermonters choosing to compost, we want to help them prevent any potential problems with bears,” said Hammond.  “People can effectively reduce the chances of bears causing damage to their property and protect the bears as well.” Here are a few of Hammond’s tips for safe composting in bear country: ·          Most importantly, keep scent to a minimum by covering all food scraps or ‘green’ materials with carbon-rich ‘brown’ materials like dry leaves, straw, or ripped up paper. ·          Turn your compost often to aid decomposition. ·   
Read more

‘Let’s Go Fishing’ Program Seeks Instructors

By -
Image
Training workshop set for September 22 BERLIN, Vt. - The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is seeking volunteers to become ‘Let’s Go Fishing’ instructors to pass on Vermont’s fishing tradition to the next generation of Vermonters. The department will be hosting a one-day training workshop for new instructors on Saturday, September 22 at the ANR Annex Building, 190 Junction Rd., Berlin, Vermont. Instructors in the ‘Let’s Go Fishing’ program organize and instruct clinics in their communities for young people and their families. Participants in the training workshop will learn how to teach a basic fishing clinic, as well as learn about fishing ethics, aquatic ecology, fisheries management, habitat conservation and tackle craft. They will also be introduced to conducting specialized fishing clinics, including clinics on ice fishing and species-specific fishing. The class is informal, and it is not necessary to have a high level of fishing expertise to become an instructor
Read more