HAT FAQs
Explore some frequently asked questions through the resources below. If your question is not answered here, please reach out to us for more information.
Wildlife
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If you come into contact with a bat, seek medical attention immediately from a healthcare provider or local public health authority or call 811.
Similarly, if any pets have come into contact with a bat, please get in touch with your veterinarian.
Bats are a reservoir for rabies in BC – meaning they can carry the disease and pass it on without showing signs of the disease themselves. Rabies is a serious illness that can be fatal; nevertheless, contracting rabies from a bat is extremely rare.
Please never handle bats with bare hands, and if you are bitten or scratched by a bat, wash the wound for 15 minutes, and seek medical attention immediately – the rabies vaccine is excellent. To learn more visit: BC Bats Touched or Bitten by a Bat.
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HAT is not a wildlife removal service. If a single bat has accidentally made its way into your space, you may be able to remove it yourself using the instructions below. If you do not feel comfortable doing so, we recommend contacting Jeff Krieger from Alternative Wildlife Solutions at 250-686-1181.
Check out the link below for detailed instructions to help you remove a bat from your home: BC Bats Found a Bat Inside.
It is very important not to touch wildlife with your bare hands - wear thick leather gloves if you are moving a bat. If you do come into contact with any wildlife with your bare skin, including bats, please call your healthcare provider, local public health authority, or call 811 immediately.
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Bats and humans can often co-exist peacefully, especially if bats are roosting in a sealed attic space or on the outside of your home (ex. in the shingles). Bats come back to the same roost sites year after year, and as they are threatened by habitat loss, it’s best to maintain roost sites whenever possible. However, if you are not comfortable having the bats roosting in your home, or if you will be doing renovations, we can provide information about how to properly exclude bats from your space.
Learn more about living with a bat colony: Living with Bats
Please note: bats are protected under the BC Wildlife Act and cannot be moved or excluded during roosting season (May 1 - September 1).
Please contact us at bat@hat.bc.ca or (250) 995-2428 if you want to discuss bats living in your home.
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November 1 - May 31
During the winter we collect dead bats to monitor for white-nose syndrome. If you find a bat during this time, please report it to us and we will collect it from you. If we cannot collect it right away, we may ask you to wrap the bat in paper towel, and double bag it in Ziplock bags and freeze it. If you do this, be sure to wear gloves and do not touch the bat with your bare hands.
Report sick or dead bats to bat@hat.bc.ca or call (250) 995-2428.
June 1 – October 31
During this time, we only collect dead bats if there are multiple found dead at the same time. If you find multiple dead bats, please report it to HAT. We may ask you to bag and freeze them and we will collect them for white-nose syndrome testing.
Sick or injured bat
HAT is not a wildlife rehabilitation facility and cannot support with sick or injured wildlife. Please contact a local rehabilitator to see if they can help:
WildARC (South Island): 1-855-622-7722
MARS (mid-Island): 250-337-2021
North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre: 250-248-8534
From November 1 to May 31, please report sick and injured bats to bat@hat.bc.ca or call 250-995-2428. If the bat ends up dying we will want to collect it for white-nose syndrome monitoring. Please note that HAT does not collect bats for rabies testing.
Visit I Found an Injured or Dead Bat to learn more.
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HAT is not a wildlife rehabilitation facility and cannot support with sick or injured wildlife. Please contact:
WildARC (South Island): 1-855-622-7722
MARS (mid-Island): 250-337-2021
North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre: 250-248-8534
Please report sick/injured bats to bat@hat.bc.ca or call 250-995-2428
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If you think you found an endangered wildlife species, please snap a photo and send it to us! Many of these species are very rare to see, so please review the ID guides below before sending us a picture.
Sharp-tailed snake:
Visit this Sharp-tailed snake identification guide to learn how to identify this elusive snake. Check out Sssnakes on Vancouver Island for more information!
Blue-grey taildropper:
Check out this guide to help you determine whether the species you’ve found is a blue-grey taildropper! Learn more about the slugs of Vancouver Island here.
If you have a confirmed sighting of a species at risk:
Please send us photos and information, particularly if it is one of our focus species!
It is helpful to report any species at risk to the BC Conservation Data Centre. This will help build the database of locations of species at risk, which will help protect them. You can Submit Data Here.
You will need to register for a Basic BCeID. Visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/wildlife-data-information/submit-wildlife-data-information
Scroll down to "Incidental Observations" and select "Public Access (BASICeID)". From here, you can sign up for the BCeID.
Once registered, it's just a matter of filling out the form with details like date, location, site information, and uploading any photos.
We also encourage folks to report sightings on iNaturalist and eBird.
Please be mindful about sharing the locations of species at risk with others, especially species like Western screech-owls that are sensitive to disturbance.
Restoration
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It can be difficult to know where to start when considering a restoration project. Luckily, there are lots of awesome resources available!
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Join us at one of our many restoration events!
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Invasive plant disposal varies based on species and time of year. Proper disposal is very important to be sure that you’re not further spreading invasive plant material. We recommend having a plan for disposal before you begin your invasive species removal.
See the Invasive Species Council of BC, which outlines best management and disposal guidelines for many invasive species in our area.
Most species can be bagged and brought to the Hartland Landfill for a fixed fee ($10). Be sure to indicate that you are transporting invasive species.
Saanich Garden Waste Disposal will take some invasive species only if they are not in a seed stage. Click here for more information.
Some species may be burned. Be sure to research and follow all burning guidelines and restrictions for your municipality.
In some cases, you can leave plant material to decompose on site. Be sure that you are not leaving seeds on site, or species that will regrow from root fragments, such as English ivy.
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At this time, we don’t offer invasive species removal for a cost, though we can support you with providing information about best management practices.
If you are looking to hire some help with removal, some companies that we recommend include:
If you are eligible for HAT’s Good Neighbours Program, we may be able to offer limited support with invasive species removal at no cost.
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If there’s a spot in your neighbourhood that you’d like to see stewarded, one of the best ways to achieve this is to take action yourself to organize community efforts! Below are some suggestions and resources to help you get started:
Connect/discuss your concerns with like-minded neighbors and people in your community. Consider organizing a neighborhood group. Below are some local examples of groups to connect with to about how to get organized, conservations resources, etc.
Resources for organizing community groups:
Landowner Contact Guide outlines how to talk to private landowners about stewardship and conservation of their lands
TIP: Considering naming your community group for the area or watershed you are interested in protecting.
Identify what important habitats, ecosystems and species are in your area of interest. E.g. Is your area of interest recognized for a provincially or federally listed species at risk? There are several sources of information in the Capital Region that provide a starting point for inventory and species at risk information, including;
The Capital Regional District Regional Map includes information from a variety of sources such as Sensitive Ecosystem Inventory (SEI), fisheries information, Conservation Data Centre rare element occurrences, etc.
Find your area of interest via street address or PID, and click on the Environmental/Natural Areas tab
The Conservation Data Centre database (Government of B.C.) maintains a database and mapping tool with information on locations of rare plants, animals and plant communities.
The CDC database is called BC Ecosystems and Species Explorer
The CDC mapping tool is called CDC iMap
Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory (SEI) provides an inventory that has mapped sensitive ecosystems on east Vancouver Island and adjacent Gulf Islands. This inventory only maps sensitive ecosystems larger than 0.5ha
Contact your Municipality:
Build relationships with your elected officials, planning staff, municipal parks/environmental staff and arrange onsite tours, meetings to build a common understanding of issues and concerns.
Attend council meetings to communicate your environmental concerns and learn what actions are being taken to address environmental impacts.
Further Resource Guides:
Conservation Planning in Coastal Douglas fir Ecosystems: A Quick Guide for Local Governments
The Green Bylaws Toolkit provides local governments with practical tools for protecting sensitive ecosystems. It includes bylaw language that local governments in BC are now using and explains various approaches, their benefits and drawbacks. The Toolkit provides a detailed review of OCPs and how they can be used to support ecosystem conservation and an analysis of EDPAs, some examples of how they have been applied, and sample EDPA language.
Develop with Care: Environmental Guidelines for Urban and Rural Land Development in BC assists people who are involved in planning, implementing, reviewing and/or approving land developments in British Columbia’s urban and rural areas.
West Coast Region Develop with Care
Best Management Practices for Garry Oak & Associated Ecosystems
General
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Thanks for your interest in working for HAT! We post all current job opportunities here. Keep an eye on this page and our social media to be notified when we are hiring for full-time or temporary work.
In the meantime, volunteering is a great way to get to know the team and the work we do!
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While HAT is happy to welcome groups at our existing restoration events, we have limited capacity to create custom programming for schools, birthdays, team-building, or other group activities. To see what we have going on, check out our event calendar!
Looking for an educational experience for your class? We recommend checking out these organizations:
Land protection
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Conservation covenants are permanent agreements that get registered against a land title. The agreement is between the landowner and a conservation agency (like HAT).
This option might be right for you if you are looking to protect all or a portion of your property that will stay regardless of sale or other transfer of land.
Learn more: https://hat.bc.ca/conservation-covenant