Bat Boxes
Bats are vital animals in our ecosystems. By making Bat Boxes for global goals at all saints and hanging them on a farm in lake grace I am working towards the life on land goal. The Bat Boxes help endangered bats by giving them homes that they lost by deforestation. The bat boxes will also give many positive outcomes to not only the bats but also the farmers and aquatic waterways.
2 – This is another example of a bat box (Note: Most bat boxes are hung is shady areas to prevent bats from overheating)
1 – This is an example of a standard bat box
The Global Goals and STEM
3 – this is an example of toxic runoff from crops
For semester 2 I am in a Global Goals project where I have decided to work on life on land goal. My target for this goal is to help the dwindling bat numbers by giving them homes on deforested farmland. By helping the bats and increasing their populations they will eat most of the crop-eating bugs on the farm allowing the farmers to use less pesticide and further helping the life on land goal. This helps the goal as most of the pesticides drain into waterways and cause damage to them killing many fish and aquatic animals. With fewer pesticides used when bat populations increase the damage will be reduced.
How Bad is Pesticide Pollution
4 – This map shows the countries and areas most polluted
About 64% of agricultural land is at risk of pesticide pollution caused by the overuse of pesticides. Globally 34% of the high-risk areas are highly biodiverse. 162 Countries are facing this problem caused by 92 chemicals known to be used in agriculture.
5 – This image shows how Pesticides manage to get into our waterways and cause damage
Pesticide pollution is linked to adverse effects on both human and environmental health. Because pesticide pollution is carried by runoffs and waterbodies it hinders the usability of these water sources.
The Design Process
When I was building my Bat Boxes there were many challenges that I had to overcome
6 – This is an example of pesticide being applied to crops
Define This is the first stage in my Design Process. I had to define a problem that we are facing, which was agricultural runoff, from this I researched potential problems while maintaining my target, of the life on land goal.
Ideate With an idea of the target and the problem I could begin planning solutions. Of the many solutions that I had researched bat boxes seemed to be the most appealing and interesting. I eventually choose bat boxes as I can make them easily cheaply and hang them on my grandparent’s farm.
7 – These are the Kent bat boxes that I created
Prototype Once I further researched bat boxes I settled on a Kent style bat box design. This bat box best suits microbats which are the bat that lives in WA and on my grandparent’s farm. I then began to make the measurements and purchase materials. Once I had purchased the materials I began to make my bat boxes.
My Project
I created bat boxes to hang on my grandparent’s farm. By helping the bats and increasing their populations it provides positive effects for my grandparent’s farm. Typically bats can eat 500 mosquitos every hour! Not only this but bats can decrease the number of destructive insects attacking the crop, meaningless pesticide is used to protect crops.
8 – These are 2 bat boxes that I have created
9 – These are the openings for the bats to enter the bat boxes
The outcome
I have not yet been able to hang my bat boxes therefore I have not tested their effectiveness. I predict that the bat boxes will reduce mosquito populations and crop-damaging insects. This will therefore reduce pollution runoff as fewer pesticides are used to remove the crop-damaging insects. The bat boxes will also increase bat populations as they will give bats homes on largely deforested land.
In my opinion, I succeeded with my bat boxes because I achieved what I had set out to which was to create bat boxes, I mightn’t have been able to hang them up however I have many plans and backup plans for where to hang them to ensure that bats can live in them. I can assure you this as my grandparents have seen bats on their farm and not far from their place is another place that actually has bat problems and the owner would be willing to pay money to give bats homes outside of his house.
What would I change?
I would plan ahead next time and take more effort to define the question. I would then be able to find a better more accurate solution that would be easier and quicker to accomplish.
I would also try to work more as a group and have team members next time to make the designing and building process quicker and easier. I would also acquire materials and plan beforehand to also make the designing and building process.
Where to now?
10 – examples of multiple bat boxes
I will hang the bat boxes on my grandparent’s farm and see if they are inhabited. My grandparents then can assess the situation about the bugs and the crop to see if the crop damage on none pesticide crops is noticeably reduced. We will also see if the mosquito populations are reduced just by wandering around common mosquito population areas.
If all goes well I will consider making the bat boxes to be sold around lake grace and therefore make a profit while helping reduce pesticide usage and increasing bat populations.