Titley Scientific’s loan program was recently put to great use in Hullet Marsh, West of Toronto, Canada.

Justin Johnson, Marsh Manager at the Hullett Provincial Wildlife area was primarily looking to identify local bat species, whilst collecting information to effectively communicate the bats ecological significance to the local community.

The Friends of Hullett strategically deployed the Titley Scientific Anabat Express across eight locations over different land cover types within the marsh, with the survey generating over 10,000 files. Using Insight Software Justin was able to analyze the data to species and determine areas of high bat activity.

Some remarkable results from the spatial analysis revealed a notable trend: bat activity was more concentrated in remote areas, particularly above the Whistler Pool. In contrast, the lowest detection rates were in the highly trafficked Sugarbush Parking Lot, suggesting a possible link between human disturbance and reduced bat activity.

The valuable insights gained from this survey will directly inform the optimal placement of 30 new bat boxes within Hullett Marsh. These bat boxes, constructed by students at F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham, Ontario, are part of a collaborative effort with Friends of Hullett. Through three educational sessions, Friends of Hullett taught students about threats to bat populations, their vital ecological role, the principles of acoustic monitoring (including a hands-on look at the Anabat Express unit), and local bat diversity.

Click here to find out more about Titley Scientifics loan program.