with these tiny mammals and am interested in gathering more information 
     
     on Island bats. I invite anyone who sights an unusual bat, or sees bats at 
     
     an odd time of year to contact me through the Natural History Society. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ********************* 
     
    
   
   
    
     (Ed. note: the following information is reprinted 
     
     from "The Future Is Abundant, A Guide to Sustain- 
     
     able Agriculture", copyright 1982 Tilth, 13217 Matt— 
     
     son Road, Arlington, Washington, 98223) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Bat boxes have been used successfully in Europe, 
     
     but are new to the United States. They are simple to 
     
     make and use inexpensive materials. One design is 
     
     shown here. The exact shape and size of boxes are 
     
     probably not important except for the width of the 
     
     entry space. This should not exceed one inch, and 3/4 
     
     inch is ideal. 
     
    

    
     Bat boxes should be fastened securely to a tree 
     
     trunk or the side of a building 12 to 15 feet off 
     
     the ground. Boxes should be placed where they receive 
     
     morning sun and afternoon shade, and most bats seem 
     
     to prefer sites relatively protected from the wind. It 
     
     is important to note that bats can live only where ad- 
     
     equate food supplies exist. Most colonial bats are 
     
     found near swamps, rivers, ponds and other areas where 
     
     insect populations are high. Boxes located more than 
     
     1/2 mile from such habitats probably will not be success- 
     
     ful. Bats are extremely shy and intolerant of disturbance. While incidence 
     
     of rabies in bats is low (contrary to popular belief), bats, as other 
     
     wildlife, may carry rabies. healthy bats are difficult to catch, so those 
     
     which can be approached should be handled with great caution. 
     
    

    
     For more information about bats, including other bat box plans, con— 
     
     tact The Center for Action on Endangered Species, 175 West Main Street, 
     
     Ayer, MA 01432, or see "Build Bat Boxes" in Mother Earth News, March/April 
     
     1981. 
     
    

    
     Bat box dimensions are as follows: Front - 6x13—3/16". 
     
    

    
     Sides - 2-1/4x12—11/16 x 6x13-1/4" 
     
     Back - 6x11" 
     
    

    
     Top - 7-3/4x8-1/2" 
     
    

    
     Entry reducer — 1—1/2—6" 
     
    
   
   
    
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     It was nice to see the front page of a recent Guardian carrying the 
     
     headline "Provincial tourism industry optimistic about benefits from fascin— 
     
     ation with nature“. This publicity was a direct result of the symposium on 
     
     conservation and tourism, co—sponsored by the Island Nature Trust, Environ— 
     
     ment Canada and the Tourism Industry Assoc. of PEI. 
     
    

    
     Atlantic Marine Wildlife Tours, the company that takes tourists to seal 
     
     pup herds on the ice floes off PEI, was a living example of the success that 
     
     can come from the cooperation of conservation and tourism. Robbie Shaw, pre— 
     
     sident of the PEI Tourism Industry Assoc., said he was happy tourist opera- 
     
     tors and environmentalists have finally found this middle ground of oppor— 
     
     tunity. Reports from Statistics Canada indicated that more than $20 million 
     
     a year is spent on birdwatching in North America, where the number of bird- 
     
     watchers has grown from eight million in 1965 to an estimated 25 million to— 
     
     day. These kind of figures are impressive and will continue to grow since, 
     
     because of political instability in other countries traditionally noted for 
     
     their wildlife, North Americans are discovering their own natural areas. 
     
    
   
   
    
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