This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
10/16/2019 08:30 AMHalloween may conjure images of bats as a scary species, but they are anything but dangerous to people, according to bat rehabilitator Scott Ward.
Scott will help dispel some of the more common myths associated with bats as guest speaker for the Daytime Gardeners of North Haven meeting and bat box workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at the North Haven Recreation Center, 7 Linsley Avenue, North Haven from 10:45 a.m. to noon.
“Bats are very important in the control of insects,” says Daytime Gardeners President Sally Brockett. “They eat thousands of mosquitoes, but they are dying out because of white nose syndrome.”
White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that leaves visible, white fungal growth on infected bats’ muzzles and wings, affects bats during hibernation. An estimated 6.7 million bats have died in the U.S. since 2006 because of an outbreak of WNS, according to the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity.
“Educating the public and dispelling the myths about the critical role bats have on our environment and devastating effects WNS has had on the bat population, in addition to the recent rise in mosquito-related illnesses, may help residents acknowledge just how closely connected the welfare of wildlife correlates to the wellness of people,” Scott says.
Scott became a wildlife rehabilitator in 2014, when he was working with an organization that focused on helping birds of prey return to their natural habitat after being injured. In 2015, he became a licensed wildlife nuisance control officer and started his own business, AMR Wildlife Interventions, to help the public safely remove animals from urban areas.
Scott says that when he learned of the statistics on the declining bat population, his interest was piqued, and it spurred him to do something to help these animals. He sought the advice and mentorship of mammal rehabilitator Linda Bowen in Falls Village.
Since then, he has been coming up to speed on the proper care and mindset for nurturing this special species of small, flying mammals.
One way to help conserve the bat population is to provide a safe place for them to roost after they are evicted from an area such as a home, business, or school. This can come in the form of a bat box, depending on the bat species.
It’s important to consider many factors when building a bat box, such as “proper ventilation, sealing the wood and making sure it’s waterproof,” Scott says. “Find a Goldilocks zone that is not too hot or shady. You want to have 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight.”
Scott’s knowledge of bat boxes and the different species of bats in Connecticut and their nesting habits have come from his dedication to learning as much as he can about bats from Bowen and state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Wildlife Conservationist Maureen Heidtmann.
Bowen suggests that gaining the knowledge and expertise to become a bat rehabilitator takes several years of successes and failures to get it right.
“Scott certainly has the passion. That is for sure,” Bowen says. “He has done fairly well in the few years that he has been doing it.”
For bats that don’t require intensive medical treatment or care, Scott welcomes them into his garage or basement for the winter. At the most, he has fostered up to 18 bats. Last winter, it was 14.
In addition to making sure the room in which they hibernate is the correct temperature, “the bats stay in their own terrarium with clean rags, paper towels on the floor, a water dish, and food dish,” he said.
Making sure they get proper care is paramount to their survival. Bats can be fragile and vulnerable, especially in the winter when “first-year bats who don’t store up on enough insects get themselves into trouble. They’re starving and underweight,” he says.
Caring for a bat that is malnourished can be an intense period of responsibility and attention, much like caring for newborn bat babies or pups.
“This was the first year that I was successful with babies,” says Scott. “I always said no because it’s so hard” to nurture them.
Scott recently helped three pups, who arrived to him weighing just a few grams a piece, reach an optimal weight to be sent to Heidtmann’s flight cage in the eastern part of the state.
Achieving favorable results as a bat rehabilitator is “a combination of learning the basics and then continually putting them to use with experience,” says Bowen. “Every experience will contribute to the growth and success of the rehabilitator as they ask more questions, handle more bats, etc.”
When Scott isn’t helping bats recover, he helps individuals suffering with addiction as a drug and alcohol counselor for Aware Recovery Care.
Prior to this position, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service in both Alaska and Idaho and in the trucking and transportation industry. Born in South Norwalk, Scott has been a resident of North Haven since 2008.
For more information and to register for the Tuesday, Oct. 22 meeting, call the Daytime Gardeners at 203-239-1557.