WHY CARE ABOUT BATS?
Bats are one of the most misunderstood, yet important species on our planet. They perform an invaluable ecological function by eating up to 3,000 insects per bat per night. This dramatically reduces the need for pesticides AND provides an estimated value to the country’s agricultural industry of over $22 billion per year!
Bats are the only mammal that can truly fly as their wings are actually a modified hand. They have a belly button and have live births. Bats are necessary pollinators and seed dispersers for many plants, including agave plants.
New Jersey is home to 6 year-round and 3 part-time species of bat, including the endangered Indiana bat. Unfortunately, numerous bat species may face extinction, due to the deadly White-nose Syndrome fungus which has killed millions of these vulnerable creatures.
THE PARSIPPANY BAT PROTECTION PROJECT
The Parsippany Bat Protection Project is an initiative of the Parsippany Green Team. Its goals are to educate residents and business owners about the importance of bats in the ecosystem, to provide local bats with suitable habitat and to humanely reduce conflicts between bats and people.
The Parsippany Bat Protection Project also focuses on educating our children by creating bat-related lesson ideas, activities and resources for teachers and school librarians. Kids love learning about these mysterious creatures and this program helps them become better stewards of our environment.
We also work to create and protect habitat for bats by identifying local areas most suitable for bat houses and working with local scouting troops to build them.
So far, we have installed four nursery boxes, capable of housing 300 bats each, in several local parks! See more details in this local article.
Another important goal is the protection of native trees, such as Shagbark Hickory, that bats use as habitat. Our volunteers have planted several of these native trees.
The Parsippany Bat Protection Project is also working to create bat-friendly requirements for new development.
We know that educating residents and business owners is critically important to bat protection efforts. The Parsippany Bat Projection Project has organized four bat walks in town – which were both educational and a lot of fun. Stayed tuned for more in the future.
In addition, we helped to plan the first ever “bat fair” in New Jersey. Bat-apalooza and the Parsippany Green Fair was a very successful family-friendly event featuring local organizations, educational presentations, arts and crafts, live storytelling and more.
The Parsippany Bat Protection Project is pleased to have the support of our local officials and the Township of Parsippany. The Township Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the efforts of The Parsippany Bat Protection Project.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Learn about bats and why they are such an important part of our ecosystem.
If you find you have bats in your house or business, contact Parsippany’s animal control officer for assistance. Make sure you hire a licensed company that will humanely remove the bats, in accordance with the laws that protect them. Please consider installing a bat house on the outside of your home after an “extrusion,” to provide alternate habitat. Did you know that Rutgers Wildlife and Conservation Management Program will do that for free?
