he Kootenay Community Bat Project (KCBP) is partnering with Wildsight to host a public bat mist-netting night at the Wasa Community Hall on Saturday, June 22nd at 9 p.m. for residents to come and see bat biologists in action. Biologists from the KCBP will be catching bats by setting up thin mist (volleyball-type) nets at dusk.

“The bats accidentally fly into the nets and get tangled, giving us an opportunity to gently remove them and determine their species, sex and other characteristics” say Juliet Craig, co-ordinating biologist of the KCBP. “There are approximately 10 species of bats present in this area and mist-netting provides an opportunity to see some of these species up close.”

The evening will kick-off with a fun and entertaining interpretive program “Cool Facts About Bats” at 9 p.m. that is great for all ages. Bring a flashlight and good walking shoes for the event.

Funded by the Columbia Basin Trust, the Kootenay Community Bat Project aims to raise awareness about bats. To find out more or to report your bats, go to www.kootenaybats.com or contact the KCBP at 1-855-9BC-BATS.