Citizen Science eDNA Project FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the goal of BCI’s eDNA citizen science project?

  The goal of BCI’s Citizen Science eDNA project is to collect presence-absence data for 3 migratory nectar-feeding bats: the Mexican long-tongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana), the lesser-long nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae), and the federally endangered Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) using non-invasive methods by having residents “swab” their hummingbird feeders to collect environmental DNA (eDNA) in specific regions of interest. While many residents across the southwest get nectar bats at their hummingbird feeders every summer, BCI is targeting study sites to regions where the endangered Mexican long-nosed bat may occur and data deficient areas for all three species at the northern edge of their ranges. This project is also informing adaptive management for BCI’s Agave Restoration Initiative.

• Where is BCI doing this project?

  BCI is working with citizen scientists in specific regions where the endangered Mexican long-nosed bat may occur and at the northern range limits for all three nectar bats that are expected to becoming increasingly important for these bats with climate change. To date, these areas include Grant and Hidalgo County, NM, and Cochise County, AZ. In areas where nectar bats could occur but have not been documented, we recommend that residents with hummingbird feeders monitor their feeder levels at night, and if they suspect they are getting bat visitors to contact us to get involved in the program. Currently, BCI is not doing this project further west than the Chiricahua Mountains of AZ, but our project area may expand in the future based on detections of the endangered Mexican long-nosed bat.

• How do I get involved in this project?

  If you are in BCI’s area of interest and get bats at your hummingbird feeders, you can contact the program at [email protected] to get on an email list to stay up to date on obtaining a sampling kit. At the beginning of each sampling season, BCI will conduct a presentation on the program and hand out kits for the season at a central location in the region. BCI works with local groups such as the Gila Native Plant Society, Native Plant Society of New Mexico, and Portal-Rodeo Sew What Women’s Organizaiton to coordinate this effort and get the word out.

• I am outside of BCI’s area of interest but would like to support this project, what can I do?

  Environmental DNA is a promising method for studying cryptic wildlife species. However, it’s not cheap. In this initiative, each citizen science kit for this program is made up of 10 sampling vials. Each vial costs $20 and is $100 to analyze at the lab, so each kit costs $1200. If you are outside of our area of interest but would like to support this project, you can donate here to help defray costs of sampling kits and laboratory analysis. Any bit helps.

• I currently do not have hummingbird feeders. Should I put them out for bats?

  Hummingbird feeders are a useful tool for studying nectar-feeding bats if you already have feeders out at night. However, BCI does not advise putting them out in an effort to attract bats. The science is unclear as to whether or not hummingbird feeders impact the health of nectar-feeding bats. Natural food sources such as agave flowers and columnar cacti are always the most nutritious option for bats. Drawing in wildlife to areas occupied by humans can sometimes have detrimental consequences; bats feeding on hummingbird feeders can be killed by patio fans, outdoor cats, or become entangled in certain types of feeders. Additionally, the impact of hummingbird feeders on bat migration is unknown. These bats migrate based on food availability, and an easy food source left out in the fall could delay migration. It’s recommended to begin tapering feeder levels in October to indicate to the bats that it’s time to migrate south.

• I want to provide natural food sources for nectar bats. Where can I get native agaves?

  BCI’s Agave Restoration Initiative works with private land owners, non-profit partners, and state and federal land managers to plant native agaves across appropriate habitat types to enhance foraging grounds for nectar-feeding bats throughout their ranges. In the United States, our focal areas for this initiative are in high elevation regions of west Texas, the New Mexico bootheel and Gila region, and the sky islands of southeastern Arizona. We conduct this work in areas where we can plant a minumum of 50 native agaves, and larger tracts of land where we can get hundreds of plants in the ground are preferred. If you are interested in hosting a planting and would like to see if your property is appropriate for a large patch of native agaves, please contact us at [email protected].

  If you just want a few agaves for your property and would like to purchase them from a native plant nursery, we recommend you check out: Borderlands Restoration Network/Borderlands Nursery and Seed in Patagonia, AZ, Gila Watershed Partnership in Safford, AZ, High Desert Native Plants in El Paso, TX, Santa Ana Pueblo Native Plant Nursery in Bernalillo, NM or any of the many native plant nurseries in the Tucson area.