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Boreal Bats Excite Aboriginal Youth
April 20th, 2010Wildlife biologist and self-proclaimed “Batman” Dr. Craig Willis captivated 30 Fisher River Cree Nation youth with tales of secret bat caves. Not your typical caves, small holes in the ground open up below the surface to large cavernous rooms. This characteristic makes it difficult to locate the caves and as a result their total number remains a mystery. By far the most important of the known sites in the province houses 25,000 bats each winter and is adjacent to the proposed Ochiwasahow, or Fisher Bay, provincial park. The proposed park area includes abundant forests including old growth which is ideal summer habitat for maternity colonies of little brown bats.
The greatest threat to the Little Brown Bat is the loss of their habitat. Fisher River Cree Nation is working to protect the area by asking the government to establish a Fisher Bay provincial park. Protecting the caves as well as the surrounding boreal forest is essential for the survival of Little Brown Bats.
Enthused to learn of their wild neighbours, this is what the students had to say:
“I didn’t know that there were caves with bats in them!”
- Dylon, 15 yrs old
“Fisher Bay should be a park so we could go look to see if there are any brown bats.”
- Jaynee, 9
“Fisher Bay should become a park because it is beautiful.”
- Amelia, 10
“I’ve learned that there are many of species of bats in Fisher Bay.”
- Avery, 14
“If Fisher Bay became a park there would be more tourist attractions and more people would come to the area”
- Josh, 17
“My favorite part of the presentation was when we heard what bats sound like.”
- Dylon, 15
“A park would be important so the animals could live longer.”
- Prezlee, 15
“The park would help with pollution.”
- Keaton, 10
“If you don’t protect the area, if humans bug them [bats], there won’t be bats. They don’t like to be disturbed.”
- Kailey, 14
“A park would sustain the ecosystem.”
- Jonathon, 14
“There are animals that live there [Fisher Bay area], and they are important to us.”
- Brandi, 9
“A park is important so we can protect the earth for endangered species, so we have oxygen in our lungs.”
- Devon, 14
“I think it is important [a provincial park] for protecting the animals and water.”
- Elliot, 9 and Walter, 10
