Thompson-Okanagan Tourism Association gets on board with bat conservation

The Thompson-Okanagan Tourism Association is going batty.

The organization has teamed up with the BC Community Bat Program to encourage resorts, hotels and other accommodation operators that might have bats in their buildings to do what they can to protect the species.

“We partnered with TOTA to see if they could help us spread the message of the importance of bats and the ability to co-exist with them,” says Paula Rodriguez de la Vega, Okanagan coordinator for the BC Community Bat Program.

Rodriguez de la Vega says bats gravitate towards the eaves of buildings, especially those made of wood, because their natural nesting habitat is in trees.

She says resources have been created to share with visitors to highlight the important role the tiny insect-eating creatures play in the Okanagan ecosystem.

“And make it an eco-tourism opportunity. So that tourists, when they come visit, can go hey, did you know that bats are really important. They’re an amazing part of the Okanagan and also bats are in trouble. this is how this hotel, or this resort or this campground is helping bats to be able to survive and thrive in the Okanagan.”

Interested tourism operators can reach out to TOTA to find out more about the program.

“We have quite a few interested operators. An example of that would be Ponderosa Point (Kaleden) or the (Nk’Mip) Desert Cultural Centre, where you can learn more about bats,” says Ellen Walker-Matthews, TOTA CEO.

She holds up the community of Peachland and its Bat Education Ecological Protection Society (BEEPS) as the perfect example of how to embrace conservation and draw people to the community. The Peachland Historic School was about to be torn down when someone found a maternal nesting colony. Now it serves as the art gallery, visitors centre and hub of bat programs.

“BEEPS has done an amazing job of bringing the Peachland community together for tourism. Now they offer all kinds of summer programs for tourists,” notes Rodriguez de la Vega.

The Okanagan has the richest biodiversity of bats in all of Canada, but half of the species that live here are considered at risk.

Here are some of the ways tourists and locals can learn more and help the species:

1. Meadowlark Nature Festival - May 19th Go Batty in Peachland tour.

2. Peachland Visitor Centre - bat cam, bat counts in summer, bat talks

3. Kelowna's EECO at Mission Regional Park - has a travelling museum exhibit on bats

4. Vernon's Allan Brooks Nature Centre - offers bat talks

5. Osoyoos Desert Centre - offers bat talks

6. Ponderosa Point Resort - offers bat family event in Kaleden in June

7. SunOka, Fintry, and Okanagan Lake South Provincial Parks - bat counts with the BC Community Bat Program, Okanagan Region.

8. Visit organic or spray-free vineyards and farms.