A concert Sunday at LanaLou’s Rock ’n’ Roll Eatery raised awareness and money for B.C.’s endangered bat population.
The Story
Local bands gathered Sunday at LanaLou’s Rock ’n’ Roll Eatery in Vancouver for a concert supporting B.C. bats, with organizers saying the event is meant to build awareness of the province’s endangered bat population.
The organizer, Allan MacInnis, said there is “a lot of misinformation about bats,” adding, “We’re really hoping this event will catch on as a way of raising awareness and money to support our bat populations.”
MacInnis said the fundraiser also aims to highlight challenges bats are facing, including habitat loss and declining insect populations.
He also pointed to a deadly fungus that causes White-Nose Syndrome, saying it “is killing bats by the millions on the East Coast” and that bat populations “have already been significantly reduced from what they used to be.”
Cori Lausen, director of bat conservation with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada, said bats do not get enough credit for their role in the ecosystem.
Lausen said bats are “fascinating animals,” adding they are “long-lived, and they’re curious.”
She also said B.C.’s forests rely on healthy bat populations because they are “the primary consumers of nighttime insects,” including forest pests such as caterpillars and beetles.
Lausen said bats eat more than moths that lay eggs, noting they also consume other insects that affect forests.
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