Bats on Public Lands

Bats play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems on our nation’s public lands. Site managers and visitors of public land sites are encouraged to learn more about the ecological importance of these fascinating creatures, the threats that bats currently face, and what you can do to help.

Bats on Public Lands: Why Bats are Everyone’s Business

Each night, across public land sites all over the country, bats emerge from their daytime habitats and consume thousands of tons of insects, helping to control our insect populations and maintain agricultural pests at a reasonable level. By filling key ecological roles as pollinators, seed dispersers and predators of insect populations, bats help to maintain the balance and ecological integrity of the earth’s ecosystems. Unfortunately, bats also face a number of human induced threats, including habitat loss, light pollution and the spread of a devastating disease known as white-nose syndrome (WNS).

In recognition of the importance of bat conservation, agencies and organizations across the United States have initiated collaborative efforts designed to raise awareness about the threats that bats face and the actions that need to be taken in order to ensure that bats remain a vital part of our nation’s landscapes.

BatsLIVE is an interagency partnership between the U.S Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners in Resource Education, Bat Conservation International, and several other organizations whose missions focus on increasing public understanding of bats and their importance to the environment. BatsLIVE offers free, bat-themed distance learning education curriculum to schools and communities. Visit BatsLIVE’s comprehensive website to find out how you can participate in educational webinars, exciting electronic field trips, and local citizen science efforts aimed at preserving bats and their habitat.

In addition, we invite you to explore the links below to find out more about these fascinating creatures and what you can do to help protect the future of bats on public lands.

Bat Facts  

Did you know that a single little brown bat can consume up to 1,200 mosquitoes in one hour¹, or that the United Nations has declared this year (2011-2012) as the International Year of the Bat? Visit our Bat Facts page to learn more about bat biology and ecological importance, as well as to access online games and interactive learning tools. Read More >

The Status of Bats on Public Lands

Where can you find bats in North America? What actions are public land managers and government agencies taking to protect bats? Read more >

White-Nose Syndrome

Learn more about white-nose syndrome (WNS), how it is impacting bat populations in the United States, and what actions are being taken to control the spread of this devastating disease. Read more >

Get Involved 

Work to create bat habitat in your local park or backyard, serve as a bat advocate or learn your local public land guidelines regarding the spread of white nose syndrome. Click here to learn more about how you can help to protect the future of bats on our public lands. Read more >

Resources for Land Managers

A list of useful sites containing tips on how to educate people about bats, examples of bat-themed activities and volunteer projects and information for land managers to help prevent the spread of white-nose syndrome on public lands. Read more >

1. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. 1997. Bats.