How to Help
Make a Donation
Important research and stewardship work cannot succeed without the necessary funding required to hire field staff, purchase equipment and supplies, and produce reports and educational content.
The Friends of Pinery Park welcomes donations from corporations and individuals. Please support the Friends of Pinery Park’s projects by making a charitable donation through CanadaHelps.org or taking part in one of our annual fundraising events, such as the Raffle, Spring and Fall Native Plant Sales and the Pinery Fall Classic.
Participate in our Community Science Project
We need your help! Bat detectors are devices that pick up the high-frequency sounds that bats use to “see” at night and make them audible to the human ear. Come to the Visitor Centre to rent one for free for up to two nights! Explore the park, listening for bats and recording what you find. When you return your detector to the Visitor Centre, mark your findings on our map. Please note that borrowing a bat detector requires a refundable hold on your credit card for the value of the equipment.
An excited Community Scientist learns to use a bat detector.
Map showing reported locations of bat sightings to October 2019
A 4-chamber bat house mounted on a standalone post.
Build and Erect Bat Boxes
Historically, Little Brown Myotis bats would roost in hollow trees during the summer months. Unfortunately, most hollow trees are cut down by people who think they are ugly or dangerous. Buy or build a bat box to give bats a place to stay during the day and to raise their young during the summer months. Providing bat boxes also encourages bats to use them rather than your dwelling for roosting spaces. Download plans for a bat house from Bat Conservation International here.
Plant Native Species
Bats eat flying insects, and many flying insects can only live on native tree and shrub species. The more native species there are in your area, the more bats, birds, reptiles, and other wildlife you will see. Some examples of native species that help provide food for bats include Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis), and New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). More information about planting native species can be found here.
This is a common buttonbush, Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash
Learn About Bats
These fascinating animals are very unique, and they deserve our appreciation and respect. If you want to learn more about bats, come to one of Pinery’s bat programs or night hikes, borrow a bat detector to look for bats yourself, pick up bat informational materials at the Visitor Centre, or book a class trip to the park! There are also excellent online resources to check out, such as:
