The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State University are looking for volunteers interested in performing night time surveys for bats in Dubuque, Lucas, Jackson, Warren and Clayton counties.
The survey monitors bat occurrence in key areas of the state. It began in response to declining bat population from White Nose Syndrome, among other challenges.
This survey uses acoustic recording equipment mounted on top of a car to detect bats along specific routes. Data has been collected on these standardized survey routes for the last six years.
Volunteers will need a vehicle and a partner to run the survey and be available for at least two nights; one in June and one in July. The survey begins 30 minutes after sunset and takes roughly 2-1/2 hours to complete.
The total time commitment, including training, the two surveys and picking up and dropping off equipment, is roughly 10 hours. More details can be found atwww.iowadnr.gov/vwmp as well as a volunteer interest form that should be downloaded, completed, and returned via email.