THE World Wildlife Fund and Friends of the Maralla Road Reserve in Bullsbrook are trying to ensure the longevity of microbats in the region by building nesting boxes and educating the public.
The species has lost extensive nesting habitat over the past decade due to a population growth in Ellenbrook and increased clearing of mature trees for housing.
World Wildlife Fun species conservationist project co-ordinator for southwest Australia Shenaye Hummerston said the loss of mature trees around Bullsbrook and Ellenbrook had made breeding difficult for the bats.
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READ NOW“Because of the large amount of clearing on the Swan Coastal Plain for housing, we are losing a lot of habitat,” she said.
“There’s not a lot of breeding habitat because a lot of mature trees with hollows have been cut down.”
The two groups have been working together to improve the chances of the species, with workshops to build nesting boxes and getting the community involved.
Microbats live for up to 22 years and there have been three different species of microbat found in Bullsbrook.
Ms Hummerston said the workshops were great at educating the community and getting them to help the species by building boxes.
“Everyone has a great time and they learn a lot about the different species,” she said.
She said people could help microbats by keeping mature trees in their backyards and by making nesting boxes and placing them in trees.
“We’ve found that multiple species of bats will use the same nesting boxes and huddle together. It’s also great to retain trees for bird life and other animals, which use the trees for food as well as nesting,” she said.
Anyone interested in more information or how to get involved can contact SHummerston@wwf.org.au.
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