Bat Blitz: A Collaborative Research Venture at Capricorn Caves

Schools

By Jillian Neyland, Education Officer, Capricorn Caves

The Capricorn Caves are very proud to partner with a variety of research organisations. In 2023, the Capricorn Caves was invited by Dr Guy Carton, a senior environmental scientist at Central Queensland University, to be the key partner in a unique STEM research project, “Queensland Bat Blitz” which the Queensland State Government is providing funding for under the Engaging Science Grants program. 

This research project enables students on school camps and excursions to take part in a fast-paced bat education session, learning how environmental scientists monitor the animals, and discovering why bats are important to the Australian ecosystem.

The students work alongside university researchers and Capricorn Caves staff to set up specialised bat acoustic detecting equipment to carry out a scientific bat survey.

Researchers then report the findings of the survey and work with students to sort and identify bat calls and generate basic environmental descriptors such as diversity, abundance and activity.

Students are able to discover which bat species are found in their local community, how rare or common those species are, and when they are active.

This project started mid-2023 and so far has generated some very interesting data about bats in northern Yeppoon, The Caves and Gracemere districts. This project will continue until mid-2024, and will expand the research zone to Mt Larcom, Gladstone and Bundaberg. 

It has been very rewarding to see the engagement of school students with the university researchers, and hopefully the data will be useful for future conservation planning.