The BC Community Bat Program is inviting southern Vancouver Island residents to celebrate Bat Week, a global event from Oct. 24 to 31 that highlights the importance of bats to local ecosystems.

“Bats are remarkable creatures that play a vital role in maintaining the health of our natural world and economy,” said Julianna Laposa-Wilde, BC Community Bat Program co-ordinator for the southern region in a release.

With at least 15 different species of bats in the province, Laposa-Wilde noted they contribute to natural pest control by consuming mosquitoes, as well as pests of agriculture and forestry.

“Bats also cycle nutrients between aquatic environments where they eat and upland environments where they sleep and poop.”

Despite their importance, bats face serious threats that they are ill-

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