Bat Workshops in 2012

This year, BCI will offer several training opportunities in Arizona (May), California (July), and Pennsylvania (August). Courses are conducted at premiere field locations where students can expect to encounter up to 100 bats per night. Students will learn hands-on techniques for the study of bats while participating in on-going bat conservation and management initiatives. In addition, the most current White-nose Syndrome updates will be presented at all classes, including hands-on training in accepted field-decontamination and disinfection protocols.

We are offering two different week-long classes at our flagship Arizona and Pennsylvania venues: (1) a “general” course which has a heavy emphasis on bat identification and study techniques, and (2) an "advanced capture" course that will combine mist-netting and harp-trapping with acoustics, bat detector use, signal analysis and video monitoring. Both courses provide ample opportunity for participants to learn and practice netting, trapping, handling, identification, and acoustic monitoring skills using a variety of capture techniques, bat detectors, and signal analysis protocols.

We will also bring the “general” course to our field site near Lava Beds National Monument and the Modoc National Forest in Northern California this July. There, we will also offer a comprehensive “Acoustic Monitoring” workshop. This course combines both frequency-division AnaBat technology (with the latest AnaLookW software) and full-spectrum recording and analysis using Pettersson, Wildlife Acoustics, and BAT detectors (with SonoBat software for signal analysis). The acoustic course is taught by Chris Corben (AnaBat developer) and Joe Szewczak (SonoBat developer), with assistance from power-users in the field, and provides an invaluable opportunity to learn this technology from industry leaders. Students will be able to “test drive” different detector and analysis equipment and software while becoming familiar with different field deployment techniques and protocols for conducting acoustic inventories. This course is ideal for bat-workers that are new to acoustic monitoring and want information on the appropriate equipment for their planned surveys or for experienced technicians who are interested in switching to a different platform, or in picking up additional skills.

Registration fees for all of BCI’s courses include all meals, lodging, and field transportation at our study sites. This makes these classes extremely efficient to attend, for even though they are conducted in remote locations, few of our field sites are more than 5-10 miles from our lecture/lodging/eating facility allowing us to spend more time in the field working and learning and less time traveling.

Interested students can register and find additional information about BCI’s training courses on the website at:

http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/workshops.html