Michigan research team conducting little brown bat research in Kenai Peninsula

Published 8:47 am Tuesday, June 2, 2026

A team from the University of Michigan has partnered with the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies for their master’s research project on little brown bats in Homer and bat populations in the Kenai Peninsula.

Emma Johnston, Asher VanAtta, Ben Suter, Nora White, and Grace Tsangaris-King will be conducting a mobile acoustic survey on June 6 from 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. around the Inspiration Ridge Preserve to track bat activity and find out where they fly between their feeding and nesting grounds.

A big part of their project is to grow community engagement with little brown bats, and they are inviting the public to join them during their late-night bat research.

“Come see how bat research is done,” Johnston said. “Throughout these surveys, you will get to see and even hear our bat friends.”

The surveys involve driving a vehicle along a pre-set route with an acoustic monitoring device attached, which will provide recordings of bat calls and help locate potential roosting and feeding sites. The team will be able to cover a large area of Homer to locate bat activity.

The data will then be sent to researchers working with the North American Bat Monitoring Program to expand their understanding of bat populations across the country.

“That means your participation is directly contributing to bat conservation research,” Johnston added.

The team will also be creating a citizen science bat reporting form which will give community members a chance to report any bats that they have on their property. The form will help map out where the bats are in the city, as location is an important first step in conservation.

Members of the community who would like to volunteer, share bat stories, or learn more, can contact the research team at umich.bat.research@gmail.com.

“We are batty for bats, and we hope you are, too,” Johnston said.