Ranging from the size of a moth to a hand, most Melbournians are completely unaware of the existence of these insectivorous bats due to their nocturnal habits, lack of audible call and small body size says Dr Rodney van der Ree, from the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology based at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and School of Botany, University of Melbourne.

The program of bat surveys will be conducted from January to March 2010 by the University of Melbourne and Earthwatch, led by Drs Rodney van der Ree, Fiona Caryl and PhD student Caroline Wilson from the University of Melbourne.

Dr van der Ree says Earthwatch volunteers will be an invaluable asset in surveying the bats, helping to set up traps at dusk and track their locations at night using hand-held bat detectors to record their ultrasonic calls and GPS equipment. 

“Although 16 species of small bats have been detected across greater Melbourne, so far there have not been any systematic surveys of insectivorous bats to quantify their distribution, abundance, habitat requirements or conservation status within urban and suburban areas,” he says.

“Many management actions such as habitat clearing, pruning of dead branches, planting of particular species of trees, artificial night lighting and park design are likely to disadvantage and cause extinction of bats.

“We hope to identify landscape-scale habitat features, as well as the micro-scale features such as preferred nesting locations that will enable managers of urban areas to consciously manage resources for the benefit of bats as well as humans.”

For more information on the microbat surveys, and how to volunteer with Earthwatch visit:
earthwatch.org/australia/exped/vanderree_short.html