SURRY — Energy, education and environmental stewardship have come together in a collaborative effort to study and provide for the local bat population.
Dominion Energy has partnered with Christopher Newport University to study bat activity and mitigation strategies across the region, using land near the Surry Power Station as its first research site.
Concept and Design
The concept stemmed from Dominion employees who learned about the decline of local bat populations but noticed activity on existing power line poles, which resemble trees. David Bilyeu, Project Designer for the company, began to think about ways to utilize the poles.
Bilyeu explained, “As we researched, we learned that Dominion was in a unique position because the right-of-ways in which we put all our distribution equipment creates edge habitats which are preferred by a multitude of species of animals, not just bats but a whole host of animals including insects. So, how do we create more habitats in these zones that are generally overlooked?”
Using 3D printing technology and lots of research — Bilyeu designed a “Bat Flat” — a bat house made to fit on power poles and minimize any issues faced by employees when the lines need service.
Jonathan Warren, Business Development Manager for Dominion heard about Bilyeu’s idea and connected the project to CNU Biology Professor Rick Sherwin.
Agreeing to be part of the project, Sherwin said, “Ever since COVID, I have become increasingly more interested in conservation and urban landscapes, coming up with reconciliation ecology — making existing systems work for people and as functional parts of systems.”
“It was surprisingly difficult to merge the resources of a state institute and a big company. It took about a year to get the logistics in place,” said Sherwin. “CNU is a smaller institution, we don’t have a long track record of working with big companies. I think it will be easier next time around but, there were a lot of lessons to learn to get here.”
“Part of the partnership — we are a utility company and our core mission is to provide energy — but we have infrastructure already through our distribution footprint so we can mix in environmental stewardship,” adds Cherise Newsome, Dominion Energy Senior Communications Specialist.
The collaboration offers hands-on research that can be used to educate the community about the bat population and urban landscapes.
Research
Now, 13 Bat Flats have been installed in a right-of-way at Surry Power Plant to provide a safe place for bats to rest and avoid on-ground predators while allowing the CNU team to observe how wildlife is interacting within the space.
Acoustic monitoring boxes are also on-site to capture the distinct sound waves —echolocation — that each individual bat species uses to navigate and locate prey.
In the past year, Sherwin said this echolocation data has revealed 13 different bat species, including three that are endangered, using the corridor.
CNU graduate student Daphne Raven, who is leading the project with Sherwin, said she is surprised at the number of different species they have been able to identify, “especially that these species are using these areas all year.”
It can take bats up to a year to move into a new roost, Sherwin explained but, the research they are doing has shown lots of activity in the area and they are hopeful the bats will eventually move into the houses.
Recently, the team found another positive sign the bats were becoming acquainted with the Bat Flats — guano — the accumulated excrement of bats.
“It is good news to see guano so soon, signs that bats are using the boxes. It is really exciting,” exclaimed Raven.
Gaining insight into the bat population is important for many reasons Sherwin explained.
“Anytime we start reducing animals that fill a space, it ripples out and affects everything else. So, from a very simple perspective, if we destroy habitat and we don’t replace it with something else, the bats won’t disappear. They will go to other places and usually those places are people’s homes — attics, under the siding, in garages — places we don’t want them,” he said. “But, if we can keep the wild wild, that takes stress off of forcing those animals from moving into our urban spaces. If we put these Bat Flats along power lines through a neighborhood that’s all roosting habitat that the animals can use and that takes the pressure off of them moving into your homes.”
These small plastic bat homes, which cost very little to make, can transform barren power poles into wildlife habitats.
Sherwin said, “We get all the animals doing the things they are supposed to be doing but, ultimately, it helps stop animals from getting to the point where they are on edge and listed as endangered and threatened.”
With power lines readily available throughout the state, Warren said, “We would love to see this idea flourish and continue to do this throughout our service territory as a way to give back to the environment.”
“Sometimes, in conservation, we get caught up in thinking huge — we have to establish a new wilderness area — and we lose track of the little things we can change in existing landscapes that ultimately accumulate and have a far greater impact to local conservation than the huge ideas we sometimes get enamored with, “observed Sherwin.
