Bois d’Arc members are serving as citizen scientists, following project protocols for a nine-week data collection effort. Master Naturalists are trained volunteers through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife who educate the public about Texas’ native fauna and flora.

Bois d’Arc chapter members Lauri Blake and Christine Miller at work on the project at Bonham State Park. photo by Debra Jones

The project is a statewide effort where our local chapter is joining over 30 other TMN chapters across the state to provide information on bat populations from the chapter
areas to Texas Nature Trackers for statewide conservation efforts and NABat for continent-wide conservation efforts. NABat is the North American Bat Monitoring Program.

In this project, each week two locations receive acoustic monitors installed by Bois d’Arc members with landowner consent. Monitors are installed on Mondays and retrieved Friday mornings. The monitors are provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The acoustic monitors capture bat echolocation calls. The project began May 11, 2026 and will conclude July 10, 2026. Data is downloaded, and members will analyze the data using the Kaleidoscope Pro software which is designed to assist in the identification of specific bat species.

This photograph shows the minibat monitor being used for the bat monitoring project. photo by Debra Jones

“The goal of the program is to collect data that identifies the different types of bats in Fannin County. The information will become part of the North American Bat Monitoring Program,” said Debra Jones, lead coordinator for the local chapter. “We are carefully following the protocols of the study so our data is accurate and usable. Bats eat insects at night totaling one-third to one-half of their weight. Bats are also great pollinators! So as you can see, they play a vital part in our ecosystem.”

This is the first year for the Bois d’Arc chapter to participate in the monitoring program, which began in 2024. The project concludes in 2028. Landowners participating in the project will receive a report each fall containing the types of bats detected on their property. This year’s ‘Data Reveal’ for landowners will be hosted at Bonham State Park on September 18, 2026. The following Saturday, members of the Bois d’Arc chapter will be at the State Park to share information about the study results and bats with the public.

For more information about the acoustic monitoring of bats and or the Bois d’Arc Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists, please email boisdarctmn.batproject@gmail.com or contact Bois d’Arc Chapter President Christine Miller. You may also visit our website at https://txmn.org/boisdarc/