Glacier National Park invites the public to Going Batty

Glacier National Park’s 2026 Going Batty field trip will be Thursday, July 9 in West Glacier from 8 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but participation is limited and requires advance registration. 

Glacier National Park biologist Lisa Bate and her staff will lead participants on this late-evening field trip to a site with known bat activity. Wildlife staff will set up mist nets to capture and process bats and use acoustic detectors to detect the ultrasonic calls of bats flying overhead. These monitoring efforts are critical as bats face several threats, including a disease known as white-nose syndrome. 

Participants will not be allowed to touch or handle bats and need to provide their own headlamps or flashlights and face masks. Face masks are required to prevent possible transmission of viruses from humans to bats. Participants are encouraged to wear suitable clothing for the weather including sturdy footwear as well as a small backpack with food, water, extra clothing layers and bear spray. 

This field trip is limited to 35 participants. For more information and to sign-up, visit volunteersignup.org/JAKEK. 

Bats make up one-fifth of all mammalian species found on Earth. They range in size from the tiny bumblebee bat, weighing less than a penny, to the flying fox bat, which can have a wingspan of up to six feet. 

In Glacier Park, biologists have now confirmed the presence of 10 bat species. The most recent addition, the Western Small-footed Bat, was confirmed during the 2022 Going Batty event.