New BC Parks Program Calls on Climbers for Help Solving a Big Bat Mystery

Where do BC's bats go in winter? Climbers can help shed light on the mystery.

It’s a question that’s puzzled biologists for years. Unlike their eastern counterparts, which hibernate in caves, bats in BC seem to disappear when the cold weather sets in. Only scattered sightings hint at their whereabouts—in rocky crevices, under house trim, or in isolated gullies.

"Here in BC, we don’t have those big caves where bats overwinter in large numbers," explains Mandy Kellner, Bat Conservation Coordinator in the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. "Instead, they go somewhere—we just don’t know exactly where."

This mystery is more than just an academic puzzle. Understanding where bats hibernate is crucial to understanding threats and possibly protecting these tiny animals, especially as White-Nose Syndrome—a devastating fungal disease—spreads across North America. That’s why BC Parks is turning to an unexpected group for help: rock climbers.

Inspired by a similar successful initiative in Colorado, Mandy and her team are reaching out to BC's climbing community to report bat sightings between September and May. If climbers spot a bat, they’re encouraged to photograph it and upload the image to the community science app iNaturalist.ca. “We’re not interested in closing climbing routes,” Mandy says. “We just want to increase our knowledge about our bat species so we can better protect them.”\

Mandy’s work is supported by Melanie Tardif, the seasonal Shannon Basin Park Ranger—a position funded by BC Parks Foundation’s Sea to Sky Legacy Fund. Melanie helps engage the public in community science, whether at the Bat Booth, where visitors learn about bat conservation, or behind a scope, scanning cliffs for peregrine falcons.

Community science plays an important role in conservation. Melanie notes that park visitors and recreationists often witness wildlife and their habitats far more frequently than Park Rangers can. Their sightings of falcon nests and bat roosts provide invaluable data for protecting these species. “I get the special privilege of sharing knowledge about these at-risk species and witnessing firsthand how many people care about them,” says Melanie. “The dedication BC Parks has to conservation is a key factor in ensuring their protection.”

Climbers also play a key role in another conservation effort: protecting peregrine falcons. The towering cliffs of the Stawamus Chief provide prime nesting sites for these majestic birds, but monitoring their remote nests is a challenge. BC Parks, the Squamish Access Society (SAS), and the climbing community have formed a partnership to help.

Megan Kobitzsch, Area Supervisor for South Coast and Squamish, recalls a striking moment when she saw a falcon soaring in the sky while working on a viewpoint of the Chief with a Squamish Nation Land Guardian. “It was so majestic,” she says, her voice still tinged with awe. “That was a special moment.”

BC Parks leads the monitoring program. Rangers—including the Shannon Basin Park Ranger supported by BC Parks Foundation’s Sea to Sky Legacy Fund—conduct scope surveys three times during peak nesting season (March to mid-July). But additional resources are needed, and that’s where climbers come in. They report signs of nesting activity, such as aggressive bird behavior, to the SAS, who relay the information to BC Parks.

“The climbing community is great at reporting,” Megan notes. “Climbers are nature lovers—they want to protect these species too.”

If nesting activity is observed, BC Parks monitors the site throughout the peregrine falcon nesting season, working closely with the SAS to balance conservation with climbing access. Any necessary protections are kept as minimal and temporary as possible, with routes reopening as soon as it’s safe for the birds.

You can help protect peregrine falcons by reporting your sightings to Megan Kobitzsch at BC Parks. Share details like date, time, number of birds, behavior (perching, flying, vocalizing, etc.), and location (including climbing route and pitch if applicable). Your observations make a difference for this at-risk bird!

BC Parks is committed to working with others to protect the biodiversity within BC's protected areas system, helping to protect species at risk and also maintain overall diversity of species and ecosystems. BC Parks Foundation’s Sea to Sky Legacy Fund supports the Shannon Basin Ranger position, ensuring regular falcon monitoring and public outreach. The commitment of rangers, climbers, and the public demonstrates a simple truth: protecting BC’s incredible wildlife requires working together.

From bats hiding in crevices to falcons soaring above the Chief, these species depend on us. You can be part of the solution. Support BC Parks Foundation and help protect the wild spaces that make BC extraordinary.