bats

The article Tiny bats give hope to proposal for park (March 4) highlights another species dependent on Manitoba's boreal forests for its survival. As Craig Willis describes, Fisher Bay's large population of little brown bats could not survive without the boreal forest that provides insects for food as well as summer-roosting sites. The Fisher River Cree Nation wants this area included in the proposed Fisher Bay Provincial Park. This region must become protected from industrial development. If logging and mining continue unchecked, the little brown bat will disappear. The provincial government can protect the little brown bat by establishing park boundaries determined by factors such as the bats' summer-roosting sites.

ERIKA BLACKIE

Winnipeg

BACKERS of a proposed provincial park at Fisher Bay think little brown bats could be the big hook that gets the province to designate the area as Manitoba's newest wilderness getaway.

Fisher River Cree Nation Chief David Crate and a local bat expert said the area near Lake Winnipeg is home to huge colonies of little brown bats that hibernate in remote limestone caves and spend the summer gobbling up moths, beetles, and other insects by the kilo.

"There aren't many of these sites around," University of Winnipeg wildlife biologist Dr. Craig Willis said Wednesday. "When we find them, we have to protect them."

The tiny bats number in the thousands right now -- one cave is said to contain 25,000 of them -- and appear to be in good health. But that could change quickly if the area is not protected by the province. The area under consideration is four times the size of Winnipeg.

"We think it would be a good draw," Crate said of the bats. "It will be part of our marketing plan we're currently developing for the area. The area will be set aside for protection. It will remain in its present state."

Willis said the threat from logging -- bats mate and hunt insects in the forest -- and other human encroachment like mineral exploration puts the brown bat at risk.

"If we cut down forests we lose bats," he said.

Crate added his community is still in talks with the province over where the Ochiwasahow (Fisher Bay) Provincial Park's boundaries will be. Peguis First Nation to the south and Jackhead First Nation also have land in the area. A final decision is expected this fall.

"Everybody is on board," Crate said. "What we're proposing is to have a co-management board comprised of the three First Nations. We think the province is open to it."

Public consultations on the proposed park will be held this spring, a spokesperson for Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie said.

bruce.owen@freepresspress.ca

Going batty?

UNIVERSITY of Winnipeg biologist Dr. Craig Willis wants you.

He and his team are hunting bats to get a better understanding of how the creatures move around the province.

If you have bats in your home or cottage or know the location of a bat colony in a building or forest in Manitoba or Northwestern Ontario, email Willis at mbbatblitz@hotmail.com (using "Bat Blitz" in the subject line) or call (204) 786-9433.

For more info on The Manitoba Bat Blitz and bats in general go to ion.uwinnipeg.ca/~cwillis/cwbatblitz.htm

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 4, 2010 A2

Dr. Craig Willis, a wildlife biologist from the University of Winnipeg, shared his enthusiasm for the flying mammals to 25-30 youth at a special “Bat Talk” today sponsored by the Fisher River Cree Nation and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).

“Bats are intriguing animals,” Dr. Willis said. “After all, what other mammal can fly?”

Willis explained why Manitoba is such a great place to study bats. He also plans to dispel some of the common myths. A bat would never get stuck in your hair – its sense of echolocation is too good for that. What is true is that Little Brown Bats love to eat insects – up to 500–1000 an hour!

Manitoba is prime territory for bats because of our large numbers of limestone caves. At least two species of bats hibernate in the caves, because they maintain constant temperature and humidity. “The Little Brown Bat, one common species, hibernates up to eight months at a stretch,” explained Willis.

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A Manitoba conservation group is touting a planned Interlake provincial park as an ideal site for a bat attraction.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society's Manitoba branch pushed the ecotourism opportunity Wednesday when gathering about 30 Fisher River-area children together in Winnipeg to educate them on the little brown bat species, which has a habitat in the area of the future park a few hours' drive north of the city.

University of Winnipeg wildlife biologist Craig Willis was on hand at the Exchange District event to share expertise on the creatures. Many of them reside in a cave in the future park region. He also debunked myths, such as that bats are "mice with wings" and that they're blind.

No bats were brought to the presentation, which used other visual aids to illustrate them.

CPAWS executive director Ron Thiessen said his organization is promoting an alignment of the boundaries of the park -- slated to become official in October -- that would best allow the bats to thrive there.