Many thanks to the Habitat Acquisition Trust for providing this update on the Community Bat Project!

Victoria, BC – November 2, 2017.

During annual bat counts, Habitat Acquisition Trust volunteers and Bat Habitat Stewards collect guano samples from beneath the bat roosts. That’s a polite way of saying, we collect bat poop.

Not to whisk away to fertilize gardens and restoration sites, but in the name of citizen science. The guano collected gets sent off for genetic analysis, to determine the species of bats living at each roost. We can’t tell what bats are living in a colony when they whoosh out of their homes at night and we don’t want to disturb the bats by physically capturing them. So this provides a safe means of understanding who’s roosting where.

This genetic analysis, coupled with listening devices that interpret bat calls called Echometers is allowing HAT to build a more comprehensive understanding of bat populations. On their own, Echometers are most useful for sites where there isn’t easy access to collect guano. Since the listening devices can pick up bats roosting in nearby trees, and since the device sometimes narrows the calls down to several different species.

Some of the bat colonies HAT’s team of dedicated Bat Counters monitor are home to multiple different species. At a particular site there are Yuma and Little Brown Bats living in the same roost. Perhaps we could learn from our little bat friends about coexistence too!

From the 2016 field season, the BC Community Bat Program sent away 151 guano samples from across BC for analysis. 135 of the samples successfully yielded DNA for analysis. 80 of the 135 samples were Little Brown Myotis bats. The rest of the samples belonged to Yuma Myotis (21 samples), Big-brown Bat (16 samples), California Myotis (2 samples), Long-legged Myotis (5 samples), Long-eared Myotis (7 samples), and Silver-haired Bats (1 sample). Amongst the bat DNA, deer mouse and red squirrel were also found.

Of the 11 sites where HAT volunteers and bat stewards were able to collect guano the results were:

• 5 Little Brown Bat colonies
• 1 Yuma Bat colony
• 2 Big Brown Bats
• 1 California Myotis
• 1 Western Long-eared Myotis
• 1 Long-legged Myotis

Each of these species have different characteristics as part of their roles and adaptations to their surroundings. Even though telling bats apart without genetic analysis can be a real challenge, even for experts.

Facts about these BC Bat species:

	Little Brown Bats Myotis lucifugus	Little Brown Bats primarily feed on tiny insects, without hard shells like midges, caddisflies, and moths. They do their foraging over calm waters like lakes and ponds.
	Yuma Myotis Myotis yumanensis	In May 2017, the deadly White-nose Syndrome was detected in this species, the second recorded case of the fungal disease in Washington State. Currently, eight species of bats have been discovered affected by the disease. Yuma Myotis maternity colonies, where females gather together to raise pups, have been documented to have over 1,000 individuals in some places in BC.
	Big Brown Bats Eptesicus fuscus	Big Brown Bats forage mainly above fields, trees, water, and open spaces. They focus their feeding efforts on moths, beetles, termites, caddisflies, lacewings, carpenter ants, and midges.
	California Myotis Myotis californicus	California Myotis are one of the smallest bat species in BC. Their maternity colonies for pup-rearing mothers are small and usually only have about 20 individuals.
	Long-eared Myotis Bats Myotis evotis	Long-eared Myotis Bats have been recorded hibernating in caves and mines in the Western United States, and there is a record of one found in a garage in Oregon during December. So keep an eye out for these little guys during the winter, so we might better understand their cold-weather habits. They feed both by catching bugs in flight or by picking bugs off the ground and trees.
	Long-legged Myotis Bats Myotis volans	Long-legged Myotis Bats are active all night long, even when it’s cold outside. They are more tolerant of lower temperatures than other bats.
	Silver Haired Bats Lasionycteris noctivagans	Silver Haired Bats are solitary tree roosters that make their homes in forests and grasslands in logs, beneath bark, and in abandoned woodpecker holes.

If you see bats roosting over winter we would like to hear you reports at [email protected] , so we can better understand the winter-time habits of bats on South Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Habitat Acquisition Trust’s Community Bat Program is funded by LUSH, MEC, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF), and people like you. If you would like to support the Community Bat Program’s continued work with these incredible animals, please donate online today at http://hat.bc.ca/bats or call 250-995-2428.

A huge chunk of rock and debris preventing summer steelhead from reaching their spawning grounds has been at least partially cleared, thanks to a partnership between government, engineers, and non-profits. A fallen railway support abutment from the historic Kettle Valley Railway had been blocking fish passage up Othello Falls on the Coquihalla River since 2014. Using low-velocity explosives, engineers have split the blockage into smaller pieces, which should be able to be washed downstream by fall and winter high-water events. HCTF provided funding for this project along with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, who have a fantastic write-up of the project on their blog.

The Cowichan Shoreline Stewardship Project (CSSP) has been restoring riparian habitat along Cowichan Lake and River since 2014. HCTF staff were invited to a tour of various restoration sites on the 1^st of September, and we were pleased to attend to see the results of this important HCTF funded stewardship project.

The CSSP is a combined effort between the BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF) and the Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society (CLRSS), with the later as the main “community lead”. The CLRSS is made up of local residents with a strong desire to preserve and protect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems that surround and sustain the lake.

In the initial three year phase of the project 2014-17, a total of 26 lake/river shoreline properties have been restored under CSSP, totaling 7,239 square metres of riparian habitat improvements. To date, average plant survival has exceeded 85% for the majority of sites. In this same period, CLRSS volunteers have conducted a total of 282 riparian owner visits around the lake/river, and administered 227 standard surveys designed to gauge shoreline owner knowledge and preferences for preservation of natural riparian habitats. The project has been funded for another three-year phase (2017-10), we look forward to seeing the results of this project moving forward.

The tour included a mix of sites planted in each year of the project to date (see photos below). It was interesting to see the site planted in 2014 looking quite established and naturalized, compared with the recent plantings which still required frequent watering and protection from grazing by deer, elk and beaver.

Below: Photos of the lakefront site planted in 2014. Plants are well-established, requiring little ongoing maintenance.

2015 Riverfront Site: Two adjacent private residences (the sign marks the restored area)

2016 Riverfront site (owned by Town of Lake Cowichan): Site was previously solid Blackberry. Ongoing maintenance has included regular pulling of regenerating blackberry.

2017 Lakefront site (private residence). This site includes a creek passing through property also undergoing restoration.

Thank-you to Christine Brophy, Field Manager for the tour if this important stewardship project. Keep up the good work!

Last August, Canada’s first case of whirling disease was confirmed at Johnson Lake within Banff National Park. Alberta’s Bow River, Red Deer and Oldman River watersheds have now been declared infected with whirling disease by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the rest of the province declared a buffer zone. The disease devastated wild trout populations in the Western United States in the 90s, but its effects on fish populations can vary. In a recent interview with the Calgary Herald, Aquatic Invasive Specialist Kate Wilson said scientists are unsure how the disease will impact Alberta’s wild fish. As there’s no cure for whirling disease, Alberta is focused on monitoring, education and following protocols to stop its spread. Though BC has not (yet) had a confirmed case of whirling disease, HCTF is helping to fund a coordinator to lead a whirling disease monitoring and education program in BC. Here’s a quick primer on whirling disease, and what you can do to help stop it from spreading.

What causes whirling disease?

Whirling disease is caused by a microscopic parasite (Myxobolus cerebralis) that infects both fish and freshwater worms during different phases of its lifecycle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What are the symptoms?

In fish, the parasite affects the cartilage near the spine, leading to skeletal deformities of the spine or skull. This causes the fish to abnormally whirl in a tail-chasing behaviour and/or display a blackened tail. Whirling disease can cause a large number of mortalities in susceptible fish populations (trout, salmon, whitefish) potentially killing up to 90% of juveniles; however not all populations or species may be affected to the same level.

Photo: State of Colorado

What types of fish are affected?

Whirling disease affects salmonids, including:

• Cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii
• Bull trout Salvelinus confluentus
• Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss
• Kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka
• Sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka
• Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch
• Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
• Mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni
• Atlantic salmon Salmo salar
• Brown trout Salmo trutta
• Brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis

Can whirling disease make people or pets sick?

There are no health concerns for people swimming in or drinking water that contains whirling disease. Eating an infected fish is not known to cause harmful effects to people or other animals.

How is whirling disease treated?

There is no treatment currently available for whirling disease; containment and prevention are the best response.

Is whirling disease in BC?

Whirling disease has not yet been found in BC, but it has been found in neighbouring watersheds in Alberta.

What can I do to help keep whirling disease out of BC?

Whirling disease can be spread by moving of fish, mud, and water between water bodies.

It can be transmitted through spores that attach to equipment (used for swimming, paddling, boating, water pumping, fishing), pets, or through infected fish (alive or dead) and fish parts.

– Never move fish or fish parts from one waterbody to another.

– Use fish-cleaning stations where available or put fish parts in the local solid waste system. Do not dispose of fish, or any fish parts, in a kitchen garburator.

– Before moving a boat or any equipment (e.g. hip waders, life jackets, kayaks, etc.) between water bodies, be sure to:

Clean

• Clean and inspect watercraft, trailers, and all equipment that has been in contact with water or fish. This includes boats, motors, boots, waders, bait buckets, and swimming floats.
• Remove all mud, sand, and plant materials before leaving
  the shore.
• Rinse, scrub, or pressure wash your boat and equipment away from storm drains, ditches or waterways. Use hot water if possible (90°C or hotter).
• Bathe pets before allowing them to enter another water body.

Drain

• Before leaving the shoreline, drain water from watercraft and equipment onto dry land.

Dry

• Dry the watercraft and/or equipment completely between trips and allow the wet areas to air dry. Allow for a minimum of 24 hours of drying time before entering new waters.
• Leave compartments open on boats and equipment and sponge out standing water

 

What should I do if I find a fish that is exhibiting signs of whirling disease?

If you see a fish showing symptoms of whirling disease, contact Front Counter BC on 1-877-855-3222, or email [email protected]

 

Lastly, you can help by spreading the word about whirling disease. Let your fellow recreational water users know about how they can help keep BC whirling disease-free.