*Live event in Banff: 101 Bear Street – above the Banff Public Library*

Of the nine species of bats in Alberta, seven occur in the southern Alberta Rockies. Three species seem to use the Rockies as a migratory corridor. The other four are year-round residents, although we know of almost no winter hibernation sites. The Rockies are a challenging environment to study bats in, but also challenging for these small, nocturnal, insectivorous mammals; the growing season is short and the nights are cold. Individuals in the mountain populations have several interesting adaptations that allow them to be successful. However, they are now facing a number of human-caused challenges, including white-nose syndrome and fatalities at wind-turbines. These put bat populations at risk. In addition, human structures have altered the bats’ natural community structure, favouring one species over all the others. How should we tackle these challenges?

 Robert Barclay obtained his BSc from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, and his MSc and PhD from Carleton University in Ottawa. He then spent three years at the University of Manitoba’s Delta Marsh Field Station as the Resident Biologist, before moving to the University of Calgary in 1984 as a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences. He taught in biology, ecology and zoology courses at all levels, and served as Department Head for five years. He and his students have investigated basic and applied research questions regarding the biology of various organisms, including grizzly bears, kangaroo rats, trumpeter swans, nightjars and leopard frogs, although his favourite study organisms are bats. His research on bats has focused on species in western and northern Canada, but he has also worked in Australia, Belize, Panama and South Africa. Although he retired in 2022 and was appointed as an Emeritus Professor, he is continuing his research on the ecology, behaviour and conservation of bats…because they are so amazing!