MIDDLEBORO — Declines to the local bat population and steps the public can take to help the flying mammals were discussed May 23 Wankinquoah Rod and Gun Club, 92 Pine St., Middleboro.

Jennifer Longsdorff, bat conservation program coordinator for the Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program at Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, spoke to an audience of about 50 people at the event, which was hosted by the Wankinquoah Rod and Gun Club Junior Associates Youth. 

In Massachusetts there has been an overwhelming decline in bat populations across the state due to bats being infected by White-nose syndrome. This syndrome is the number one threat to bats, killing more than a million bats each year and causing mortality rates that approach 100 percent in some locations, she told the audience.

Scientists also believe the syndrome has caused the most dramatic decline in North American wildlife in over 100 years, since the extinction of the passenger pigeon.

Here are some steps she said the public can take to bolster the bat number.

Be a citizen scientist and spread the word about reporting bat colonies MassWildlife; help dispel myths and fears about bats and teach others hy bats are actually fascinating and beneficial; and install a bat house to provide an alternative roost site and a safe home for bats. 

The public can protect habitat for bats, by leaving old, dead or dying trees on their property to stand as potential roosting sites. Reduce pesticide use to ensure there are plenty of insects for bats to eat and create a bat-friendly landscape in a backyard by adding water features, such as a pond, and night-scented flowers.

The Wankinquoah Junior Associates built 40 bat houses and accepted donations from the members of Wankinquoah Rod and Gun Club. The junior associate benefited the bat community by providing 40 possible habitats for bats to live. 

They also raised $1,000 that was donated to the Massachusetts Wildlife Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Longsdorff later confirmed that the donation was the largest single donation this year presented to a staff presenter.

For more information on bats and ways to protect them, visit https://www.mass.gov/orgs/division-of-fisheries-and-wildlife.