Glacier Park offering bat field trip next week

Glacier National Park and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks invite the public to a late-evening “Going Batty” field trip on Thursday, July 13 in West Glacier from 8 p.m to about 11:30 p.m. This free field trip provides an opportunity to learn about bats, their amazing adaptations, and some of the threats they face.

Join Glacier National Park Biologist Lisa Bate and her staff, along with Leah Breidinger from MFWP, to view a site with known bat activity where wildlife staff will set up mist nets to capture and process bats and use acoustic detectors to record the ultrasonic calls of bats flying overhead.

Participants will not be allowed to touch or handle bats and will be required to wear a protective mask when near bats. Please wear suitable clothing for the weather as well as sturdy footwear. Participants are encouraged to bring a small backpack with food, water, layers, and bear spray. Headlamps or flashlights are required but not provided.

The field trip is limited to 25 participants and registration is required. For more information and to sign up, contact Megan Potter at megan_potter@nps.gov.

Bats make up one fourth of all mammalian species found on Earth. They range in size from the tiny bumblebee bat, weighing less than a penny, to the flying fox bat, which can have a wingspan of up to six feet.

In Glacier National Park, biologists have confirmed the presence of 10 bat species. The most recent addition, the Western Small-footed Bat, was confirmed during the 2022 “Going Batty” event. Three other species were added in recent years due to the park’s efforts to inventory and monitor bats. These monitoring efforts are critical as bats face several threats, including a disease known as white-nose syndrome which is predicted to arrive in the park at any time.