sooke news mirror, july 15, 2015

C O M M U N I T Y N E W S M E D I A

Black PressWednesday, July 15, 2015 Mail Agreement #40110541

Kevin Laird/Sooke News Mirror

Singing her songSoprano Betty Waynne Allison performs at the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestras Philharmonic Fling on Sunday. The annual event was moved from Ed Macgregor Park to Sooke Community Hall, due to weather. For more on the event, please turn to page 13.

Kevin LairdSooke News Mirror

Along Loss Creek, southeast of Port Renfrew, you can see hun-dreds of them, if not thousands, at dusk. As the twilight sky darkens they blend into the darkness only to reappear the same time the next day.

Where bats roost and keep hid-den during the day in a large swath of land between Sooke and Port Renfrew is a mystery to research-ers.

Researchers say they know almost nothing about the local bat population.

No one, as far as we know, has any information on the bats in that area, said Jill Robinson, steward-ship coordinator for the Habitat Acquisition Trusts bat stewardship program.

And its a troubling phenomenon.Of the 16 species of bats in B.C.,

over half are red or blue-listed, meaning that their populations are declining and they could become endangered.

The B.C. Community Bat Project Network was established in many regions of B.C. in 2014 to support bat conservation. The goals are to raise awareness about bats, provide information to homeowners dealing

with bat issues in buildings, promote the installation of bat-houses, and develop a citizen science program to monitor bat populations.

Bats are an incredibly valuable part of our ecosystem. They play an important role in controlling insect populations, pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds and yet, we know very little about them.

Identifying where they are living will give us a better idea on how we can protect their habitat and more about whats limiting in their habitat, said Robinson.

In search of the

elusive batsResearchers have no idea where large bat populations roost between Sooke and Port Renfrew and need the publics help

Bats eat up pesky insects

Vancouver Island is home to two different types of bats: cavity nesters and tree nesters.

They are all considered micro-bats and only eat insects.

Cavity nesters include little brown bat, big brown bat and Yuma bat.

The silver-hair bat is a tree nester.

PleaSe See: Researchers arent sure, Page A35

INDeX COMMUNITY SPORTSNews 3Opinion 8Arts 31

Sooke emergency coordinator Al Wickheim finds himself on the front lines of earthquake rescue in Kathmandu

Page 3

Sookes Piper Allman, 13, has set a goal to reach the top tier in international mountain bike racing

Page 31

75

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A TREAT TO VIEW!

C O M M U N I T Y N E W S M E D I A

Black PressWednesday, July 15, 2015 Mail Agreement #40110541

Kevin Laird/Sooke News Mirror

Singing her songSoprano Betty Waynne Allison performs at the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestras Philharmonic Fling on Sunday. The annual event was moved from Ed Macgregor Park to Sooke Community Hall, due to weather. For more on the event, please turn to page 13.

Kevin LairdSooke News Mirror

Along Loss Creek, southeast of Port Renfrew, you can see hun-dreds of them, if not thousands, at dusk. As the twilight sky darkens they blend into the darkness only to reappear the same time the next day.

Where bats roost and keep hid-den during the day in a large swath of land between Sooke and Port Renfrew is a mystery to research-ers.

Researchers say they know almost nothing about the local bat population.

No one, as far as we know, has any information on the bats in that area, said Jill Robinson, steward-ship coordinator for the Habitat Acquisition Trusts bat stewardship program.

And its a troubling phenomenon.Of the 16 species of bats in B.C.,

over half are red or blue-listed, meaning that their populations are declining and they could become endangered.

The B.C. Community Bat Project Network was established in many regions of B.C. in 2014 to support bat conservation. The goals are to raise awareness about bats, provide information to homeowners dealing

with bat issues in buildings, promote the installation of bat-houses, and develop a citizen science program to monitor bat populations.

Bats are an incredibly valuable part of our ecosystem. They play an important role in controlling insect populations, pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds and yet, we know very little about them.

Identifying where they are living will give us a better idea on how we can protect their habitat and more about whats limiting in their habitat, said Robinson.

In search of the

elusive batsResearchers have no idea where large bat populations roost between Sooke and Port Renfrew and need the publics help

Bats eat up pesky insects

Vancouver Island is home to two different types of bats: cavity nesters and tree nesters.

They are all considered micro-bats and only eat insects.

Cavity nesters include little brown bat, big brown bat and Yuma bat.

The silver-hair bat is a tree nester.

PleaSe See: Researchers arent sure, Page A35

INDeX COMMUNITY SPORTSNews 3Opinion 8Arts 31

Sooke emergency coordinator Al Wickheim finds himself on the front lines of earthquake rescue in Kathmandu

Page 3

Sookes Piper Allman, 13, has set a goal to reach the top tier in international mountain bike racing

Page 31

75

2 I NEWS I sookenewsmIrror.com wednesday, July 15, 2015

Sookes Most Wanted

Michael BRUCEAge: 26Wanted: Fail to comply

Ken SPEARSAge: 32Wanted: Breach of Undertaking

Fycher BECRAFtAge: 22Wanted: Assault, Enter Dwelling House, Breach X2

The following individuals are wanted by the Sooke RCMP as of July 10. If you have any information on these individuals or their crimes, you are asked to call the RCMP at 250-642-5241 or anonymously through Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Kevin LairdSooke News Mirror

B.C. Transit wants to see more service improvements in Sooke, and that likely means more buses and routes in the near future.

Wed like to improve the local bus numbers over the next few years, James Wadsworth, a senior planner with B.C. Transit, told Sooke District council last week.

More than 65 percent of bus users in Sooke use the transit system within town and 20 per cent use it for trips to other areas in Greater Victoria.

As we think of the future network, there is a good regional connection, but there is still an opportunity to improve local transit moving people within Sooke, Wadsworth said.

B.C. Transit recently made changes to its service in Sooke, after consultation with bus riders and local officials. It added a late-night service to and from downtown Victoria and added a stop at SEAPARC Leisure Complex.

More changes are likely.

B.C. Transit will conduct a local area plan in 2016-2017

which will examine development, if more community buses are needed and in what areas and what are the priorities.

A larger study done earlier the Transit Future Plan identified the need for another park-and-ride lot further down West Coast Road, and the need of a new bus exchange if more community buses are added.

Mayor Maja Tait said B.C. Transit has made some positive changes, but more improvements would

be welcomed.I think having used

transit in the peak hours, it works great the buses come regularly, and if you miss one you know another one will come along quickly, but for daytime use its different, she said.

The feedback Ive had is the trip is just a bit too long for seniors or anyone going for medical appointments [in Victoria] it makes for a really long bus trip home.

Wadsworth said future consultation could solve some of those issues.

We try to make the best use of the resources we can and balance everything out with funding and keeping taxes at a reasonable level, he said.

The Victoria Regional Transit System is the second largest in B.C.

klaird@blackpress.ca

B.C. Transit mulls more service upgrades

There is a good regional connection, but there is still an opportunity to improve local transit. James Wadsworth

B.C. Transit

Sooke Mounties are enforcing bylaws to help prevent wildfires.

Dropping smouldering cigarette and cigar butts on streets, highways and trails can net some hefty fines, especially during extreme dry weather when they can spark raging wildfires within minutes.

We will be enforcing these laws, said Cpl. Andrew Baylis.

The laws apply to not only drivers of motor vehicles but their passengers, cyclists and pedestrians alike.

Smokers will be fined for tossing lit cigarettes

2 I NEWS I SOOKENEWSMIRROR.COM WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2015

Publisher: Rod Sluggett publisher@sookenewsmirror.comEditor: Kevin Laird editor@sookenewsmirr