On October 7, 2023 EPAC partnered with South Central PA Climbers and Birdsboro Area Climbers Association to host a workshop with Climbers for Bat Conservation. This workshop will consisted of a classroom and field experience held at Berks Nature. Classroom content included bat ecology and safety as well as facilitated discussions that highlight where climbers, land managers, and bat biologists’ interests align, set priorities, and work through anticipated conflicts. The field portion, held at Birdsboro Climbing Quarry, allowed participants to practice collecting roosting location and bat identification data using app enabled intake forms and echo meters.
We welcomed participants from the LCOs, others from the climbing community, DCNR educators and those interested in bat conservation. It was a day of education, communication, collaboration, and, of course, climbing. We are excited to continue to build on this initiative.
This event was made possible with a grant from Access Fund