Do you love bats?

FACT: There are 23 bat species in San Diego County - 5 of these are at-risk.
At least 16 species can be found in the San Diego River Watershed.

 

The San Diego River Park Foundation is raising awareness about these amazing critters which are so important to the river's ecosystem. We have documented bats at many places along the San Diego River and its tributaries.

Reasons Bats are cool:


• Bats are vital to an ecosystem
  
• Bats help by distributing seeds
• Bats are great pollinators
• Bats eat mosquitos and other pests
• Bats use echolocation to navigate and can determine size, shape, speed, and direction as they detect different features
• Bats are the only flying mammal

Join a Bat Walk to learn more!
If your are interested, contact our team and they can let you know about the next event. Please note since we see less bat activity in the cooler months, we may not hold an event until the spring when it gets warmer.

Email Natalie or call us at 619-297-7380.

 

Special Conservation Projects

Boulder Creek Preserve is an amazing place where 14 bat species have been documented. 3 of these are at-risk species. Together we can help save these bats!

ACTION: Our program seeks to protect known roosting sites, create a bat research site to collect data to fill in knowledge gaps about these nocturnal critters, and raise awareness through bat walks, student education programs and other activities.

Photo of one of the bats at Boulder Creek Preserve

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Do you want to help bats?

Become a Friend of River Bats
Donate $13 or more

Friends of Bats receive early notice about our popular bat walks where local experts share the significance of our local bats and use special bat detection technology to locate these amazing critters with you.

Looking for a Special Opportunity?

Adopt a Bat For One Year- Donate $156 or become a $13 monthly donor

Just 5 Remain - Limited Opportunity!

Get an adoption e-certificate with information about "your" bat, and be invited to 2 exclusive events one in Mission Valley and one at one of our mountain open space preserves. You and your guest will learn first hand about these amazing animals with other bat enthusiasts in a small group setting.

Donate using PayPal

To make a monthly gift, select that option after clicking the "Donate" button

Of course, these are ceremonial adoptions, we like to keep wild bats wild!

OTHER DONATION METHODS:

• By mail, click here for a printable form (PDF) or send a check
  Payable to San Diego River Park Foundation
  4891 Pacific Highway, Suite 114
  San Diego, CA 92110
  
• By phone call 619-297-7380 M - F 9AM - 2PM or for questions
• Venmo @sandiegoriver and indicate for "Bats"
• Cryptocurrency is also available
• Gifts of Stock Details

 

Adopt a Bat Certificate and fact sheet will be emailed to you.
We will contact you to see if this is a gift for someone else.

BACKGROUND: On one of the properties we conserved along Boulder Creek at the base of Cuyamaca Peak, we identified an old mine. After exploring the mine, we found bats roosting in it. We applied for and received a grant from SANDAG to install a "bat gate" to help protect people and the bats and study this bat population. We have been amazed at how many different bats are in and around this mine. 14 species have already been documented.

We worked with the San Diego Natural History Museum to document these bats, obtain the equipment to continue this research, and take actions to protect the mine and surrounding areas.

We partner with the San Diego Natural History Museum, Bat Conservation International, local bat expert Don Albright and others to guide our program. We hold several public education events throughout the year.

Collected bat data also is used in our Nature Education Program and to inform our open space acquisitions and restoration projects.

With your support we can take actions to conserve these amazing critters!

The San Diego River Park Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit EIN 01-0565671
All donations are tax deductible as provided by law.



  For more information on this project and ways to get involved, contact our Senior Program Manager, Natalie at natalie@sandiegoriver.org or call our team at 619-297-7380.

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