The New Zealand long-tailed bat, Chalinolobus tuberculatus. PHOTO: COLIN O'DONNELLA new round of scientific grant funding may help turn mysterious twilight shadows into living, breathing reality. Self-described "bat lady" Catriona Gower has been helping Catlins residents gain fleeting glimpses of the region's elusive long-tailed bats for more than five years. Now $20,000 of new funding for the Catlins Bat Project, from the Government's Participatory Science Platform, would allow her to expand the range and depth of educational programmes and community participation, including non-harmful bat-trapping sessions conducted by "bat experts" this summer. In addition, in March next year some project members would be able to attend the seventh National Bat Conference in Te Anau, to present their project work.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 18, 2019 16:41 UTC