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Halloween means ‘Bat Week’ has arrived for state environmental experts

Biologists at DEEP are quick to emphasize the importance of a healthy bat population to the environment.

BURLINGTON, Conn — Each year, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) uses the week before Halloween to celebrate "Bat Week".

“Bats are amazing,” said Devaughn Fraser, a wildlife biologist at DEEP.

DEEP's goal is to promote education and conservation messages surrounding the bat population – not just in Connecticut, but across the country.

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Fraser and so many of her counterparts at the DEEP are quick to emphasize the importance of a healthy bat population to the environment.

“Bats are like natural pesticides, without the harmful chemicals,” she said.

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For the past 15 years, the well-publicized disease called “White Nose Syndrome” has challenged bat colonies across the country wiping out millions of bats. Those issues continued this year though.

“There are some encouraging signs that our bats are at least evolving some level of natural resistance to this fungus [from White Nose Syndrome],” Fraser said.

The state welcomes anyone from the public to become a volunteer “Bat Monitor” – asking them to count and report various bat sightings to aid the department’s research.

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“They need our help and everybody could benefit from learning why Bats are important,” Fraser added.

To find out more about the CT DEEP’s bat website or more about becoming a Bat Monitor, click here.

Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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