While completing my degree in Wildlife Conservation, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to volunteer with the CCWA’s Citizen Science Program. This has given me a valuable hands-on experience and insight into the conservation landscape in Western Australia. I was also able to build new friendships, find a new appreciation of my local bushland areas, and develop a growing (possibly unshakable) passion for Western Australian bats.

I got my first opportunity to attend a Bat Walk with CCWA’s Citizen Science Manager Kelly Sheldrick down in the Southwest. I didn’t know anything about WA’s bats, and Kelly was full of knowledge of all things bats. I learned about the species found in WA, their pollination and pest control efforts, and most importantly, how much each species weighs in relation to confectionary (Southern Forest Bat (Vespadelus regulus) = 2-3 Smarties, Gould’s Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus gouldii) = 1.5 Tim Tams). This was also my first time using a bat detector to record bats in real time. Seeing a bat fly overhead and watching the pulses of echolocation move across the screen was thrilling. Being out at night knowing you are sharing the bush with these stealthy flying mammals brought a whole new perspective to exploring the outdoors. I was hooked.

I started to jump at any opportunities that came up with the CCWA’s Bat Monitoring Program. I attended Bat Walks, helped with events and saw the benefits of citizen science in action. Just like me, people, young and old, were being converted to bat lovers over the course of an evening. While I was learning more about our bats from Kelly with every outing, I found that eventually I could answer some questions and provide guidance to people myself. I started to make connections with people from other conservation groups, which led to more learning and volunteer opportunities. I also got to know representatives of my local council, National Parks and the wonderful ‘Friends of’ groups for my local bushlands. This gave me access to a wealth of information on local conservation projects, the history of my local area and the inside scoop on when and where to look for ghost fungus and orchids. However, I most enjoyed the friendships I built with the other regular ‘Bat Campion’ volunteers over shared experiences and excitement. With more experience came more confidence and I started to volunteer for some bat trapping surveys.

The bat trapping surveys required learning a whole new set of skills and provided the opportunity for unforgettable up close and personal encounters with the bats. The assembly and maintenance of the harp traps took some time to learn, and I have yet to master trap placement, Kelly insists “thinking like a bat” helps. However, the highlight is always the bats themselves. There is always excitement around checking the traps and trying to decipher what species we might have. Then seeing Kelly expertly handle and process them, confirming (or correcting) my species guesses. Watching the inspection of the bats for parasites is always a highlight. There is nothing cuter than seeing a tiny bat being brushed with a toothbrush. Some bats seem to take the short invasion of their privacy in their stride, while others are quite offended, fidgeting and chatting loudly until their eventual release. The release itself is quite the ceremony. Volunteers form a ‘guard of honour’ with bat detectors to record release calls and under the glow of red headlamps the bats take off, always doing their best to avoid any attempts from us to film them.

Volunteering with CCWA’s Citizen Science program has given me confidence that once I complete my studies, I will be able to pursue a career and make an effective contribution to the conservation of WA’s unique wildlife. In the meantime, the connections I have made ensure I have a range of volunteer opportunities to learn real world skills and see conservation in action. Of course, of all the opportunities, I most eagerly wait for emails from Kelly to spend some time in the bush learning about and hanging out with the bats.

-Levi MacDonald, CCWA Bat Champion