Penn Vet’s Wildlife Futures Program launches habitat initiative for Philadelphia bats

In an effort to support local bat populations, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's (Penn Vet) Wildlife Futures Program (WFP)has facilitated the design and construction of a collection of wooden bat boxes to be installed in campus parks.

The bat population of Pennsylvania has been on a sharp declinesince 2008, due mainly to white-nose syndrome, a fatal fungal disease that targets hibernating bats. In the case of the little brown bat, the population has declined by more than 90%, leading to its designation as an endangered species and sparking statewide conservation efforts.

In collaboration with Penn Sustainabilityand Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services, Penn Vet's WFP is combating bat population decline within the urban ecosystem of Philadelphia by establishing a safe breeding environment for colonies of little brown bats and big brown bats. As part of the initiative, five wooden bat boxes-each of which can hold up to 200 bats-were created in the Weitzman School of Design Fabrication Lab. Once installed in outdoor spaces across campus, the boxes will provide a safe space for hibernation, breeding, and maternity roosting, addressing the lack of wooded areas and caves that bats traditionally prefer for housing.

"Bats are so ecologically important," says Julie Ellis, co-director of the WFP. "They eat mosquitoes and insects that negatively impact agricultural production, and several bat species worldwide serve as important pollinators. But in urban ecosystems, bats often do not have access to safe places to form breeding colonies and raise their young. As a result, they end up living in buildings or in the attics of people's houses, from which they are usually quickly evicted. Our bat boxes are designed to mimic tree habitat and support the daily needs and overall health of bats."

Each spring, bats arrive in the Philadelphia area to mate and reproduce before moving on to other geographical areas later in the year. This fall, a portion of the bat boxes will be installed at Kaskey Park. In early 2025, several boxes will also be installed at Penn Park. The location of both parks capitalizes on the established bat migratory pathway along the Schuylkill River. Starting in spring 2025, the local bat population will have access to the new maternity spaces for birthing and raising their young.

This story is by Caitlin Ware. Read more at Penn Vet News.