The Visitor Center on the Tetlin NWR has a history of  "interaction" with bats. So the local Tok Girl Scout Troop #74 decided to help with the bat issue by building and hanging bat boxes around the Visitor Center.  The girls met with refuge staff and volunteers in late May to build the boxes, which introduced the girls to working with hand tools.  In June, a refuge volunteer painted all the boxes.

On July 11, the girls, their leader and refuge staff  determined appropriate spots to hang these bat houses.  Four (4) houses were put up at the Visitor Center and one (1) was hung at the Northway bunkhouse facility. 

The VC rangers kept and eye on the houses, explained their purpose to visitors and discovered that we had encouraged at least one little Myotis to take up residence.

The Girl Scouts plan to return to the boxes next season and evaluate their effectiveness.