Fayetteville, WV (WOAY) – You’ve likely heard of bird counts, where volunteers survey the area to gather data on local bird populations.
This fall, the National Park Service (NPS) and New River Gorge Alliance of Climbers (NRAC) invite the community to join the Bat Blitz.
The Blitz is part of an effort to survey bat populations at abandoned coal mine portals across the park.
The count takes place during the fall swarming period when bats gather in large numbers to select hibernation sites and mate.
By safely capturing and releasing bats, NPS aims to identify species using specific mine portals , collect demographic data, and monitor long-term population and habitat trends.
Volunteers will not be able to handle bats if they do not have a current rabies vaccination.
However, volunteers can still join without a current rabies vaccination to help with data recording or other tasks.
The Bat Blitz kicks off Sept 26–28 and continues over three weekends.
Volunteer spots are limited to minimize the environmental footprint.
If the organization selects you as a volunteer, they will contact you directly to confirm dates based on field needs.
As bats are nocturnal creatures, the surveys are conducted at night.
Volunteers can expect 4–8 hours of fieldwork from 5:00 pm to 1:00 am, often with a 0.5 to 2-mile hike to and from survey sites.
Registration closes September 15.
For more information, send a message to NRAC at bod@newriverclimbing.net.
