little brown bat on moss by peterboyer on iNaturalist

Little Brown Bat

Little Brown Bat is one of Kingston's more-than-human neighbours, echolocating in night sky. Their calls reach 25 to 50 kHz, mapping the river, the wetland, insect. Since 2010, white-nose syndrome has killed 94% of their population. These kin cards are an invitation to get to know them: who they live in relation with, their gifts, and what they're asking of us.

Little Brown Bat kin card

Little Brown Bat hunts mayflies, caddisflies, midges, moths, and mosquitoes along the water's edge. They roost in cavities of elder tree, carved by Pileated Woodpecker. In winter they hibernate in karst caves or cavities whose temperature stays around 2 to 10°C. In fall, the build fat reserves for hibernation by consuming the insects attracted to Goldenrod, Aster, and Joe-Pye Weed.

Little Brown Bat at the planning table

What sustains Little Brown Bat, what they give to this place, what threatens them, and what a workable Biodiversity Action Plan looks like from where they stand. This season, this decade, this century.

Get to know Little Brown Bat. Return through the seasons. Record what you observe on iNaturalist.

Notice:Thirty minutes after sunset, May to September, stand at the waterfront. Watch for their low, erratic flight over water. At dusk in June, watch for bats emerging from gaps or attic vents in old limestone churches, farmhouses, or century buildings. In the evening, walk a creek, river, or wetland edge. Is it dark enought for them to hunt?Act: Turn off exterior lights after dark or replace them with motion sensors. Install a bat box on a south-facing wall, 2.5 to 3 metres up, near water if possible. Create a pocket wetland. Plant Goldenrod, Aster, and Joe-Pye Weed. 

Kingston is drafting a Biodiversity Action Plan. Pin a place that matters to Little Brown Bat.

Get involved: Little Forests Kingston is growing. We're looking for people who want to build relationships with the land and tend them over time. Forest Stewards, Neighbourhood Weavers, Community Scientists, Seed Keepers and more. You don't need to arrive knowing everything. Do any of these roles call to you?