Citizen Scientists Collect Baseline Data on Bat Distribution, Habitat Use, and Seasonal Activity in Southeast Alaska

Little is known about the ecology of bats in Southeast Alaska. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game’s Wildlife Diversity Program initiated a citizen science program in the summer of 2014 to collect baseline information on... [ view full abstract ]

Little is known about the ecology of bats in Southeast Alaska. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game’s Wildlife Diversity Program initiated a citizen science program in the summer of 2014 to collect baseline information on the distribution, habitat use, and seasonal activity of bats in the region. Southeast Alaska is an island archipelago, and most communities are accessible only by boat or plane, making it logistically challenging and expensive for biologists to collect data at multiple locations. In Southeast Alaska, public libraries connect the community members to local events and serve as a ‘hub’ for information sharing. We partnered with public libraries in 2 communities to establish a citizen science acoustic survey project. The libraries served as centers for advertising the project and recruiting citizen scientists and librarians were responsible for checking out the equipment and downloading and submitting the data. A total of 30 community members participated in 18 driving surveys that covered specific survey routes and followed standardized protocols. Through this citizen science effort, we were able to identify which species are present in these remote communities, as well as the habitats they are using. These data will also be contributed to a new national database for monitoring bat population trends. The successful partnership established between ADFG biologists and community libraries will enable us to continue monitoring bat populations in these remote communities.