(release in Spring 2025)
From pollinating our crops, to spreading seeds and managing insect populations, bats are necessary for a properly functioning ecosystem.
But, in Ontario, bats are in decline. Of the 8 species that live there, 7 are endangered. Disease, habitat loss, and human development are all contributing to this decline.
Shawanaga First Nation (SFN) is monitoring bat populations on their traditional territory, including discovering brand new habitat that could be vital for bat migration along the eastern shores of Georgian Bay where the community is situated. By engaging the community in data collection, they are building a local relationship with these elusive mammals.
In this film, the audience gets a first-hand look at the field work that is being led by this small community of 500 residents while showing the outsized opportunity that they have to protect a vitally important species. Its role is to engage further community involvement and spread awareness about the importance of local Indigenous land management in the Great Lakes region.
Produced for Shawanaga First Nation Lands Department.
