BAT TELEMETRY PROJECT UNDERWAY IN THE WATERSHED!!

Don't be surprised to see cars and trucks with strange looking antennas racing around the area during the middle of the night. They are actually part of an ongoing bat telemetry project following the flight and roosting and foraging patterns of Myotis lucifugus or Little Brown bats from the hibernaculum in Durham Township.

The tracking program began this month with the capture and banding of 7 female bats from the Durham hibernaculum. These bats were fitted with special electronic radio transmitters to allow them to be monitored by radio signal receivers that can track the signal by air and by automobile.

Numerous agencies and volunteers are participating in this project, which will help foster a better understanding of bat behavior in this region. Once the analysts are able to learn where the bats live over the summer months, conservation programs to help protect their habit areas can be developed.

The project was made possible by funding provided by the Delaware and Lehigh Heritage Corridor Commission and through the tremendous volunteer efforts of various organizations and private individuals. Participants in the project include the following:

CCWA
Delaware Valley College
Durham Township Environmental Advisory Council
Heritage Conservancy
Northampton County Parks and Recreation
PA Game Commission
Philadelphia Zoo

READ MORE ABOUT THE BAT HIBERNACULUM AND ITS RECENT DESIGNATION AS AN IMPORTANT MAMMAL AREA BY CLICKING HERE.