Brian will introduce the eight bat species found in Northeastern British Columbia (did you know there were eight species?) with a focus on data gaps and how researchers are trying to address some of these gaps in the Peace Region. Some of the bat basics covered will include bat echolocation and acoustic monitoring (including summer vs. winter), life-history strategies of resident vs migratory bats (did you know that only some of our bats spend the winter here?), ecosystem services provided by bats (do you like tequila?), and threats currently facing bats from disease (White-nose Syndrome) and resource development. Building on these basics, Brian will discuss current research to locate hibernacula and maternal roosts for endangered bats in Northeastern BC and how results from these programs, and others, are providing valuable baseline information prior to the arrival of WNS. He will also discuss how these programs are contributing to bat conservation in BC and what people can do to help bats where you live. Research funding acknowledgement—Fish and Wildlife Compensation Pro-gram (FWCP); Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF); Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC).

The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Presentations are also made available to remote participants through BlueJeans. Go to http://www.unbc.ca/nres-institute/colloquium-webcasts to view the presentation remotely.

Past NRESi colloquium presentations and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.

This event is funded by the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP). The FWCP is a partnership between BC Hydro, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, First Nations, Public Stakeholders and the Province of BC, to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by existing BC Hydro dams.