Bat Acoustic Workflow & Eastern Call ID Workshop - Carlisle, PA & Online March 4-6, 2025

Event dates: March 4-6 (Tues-Thurs), 2025Early Bird pricing is in effect; register now to hold your seat. This class jumpstarts users towards responsibly interpreting acoustic bat detector studies required by agencies, clients, and professional researchers. The focus is on post processing bat acoustic data and Eastern US species ID, featuring the SonoBat software program with a brief introduction to Kaleidoscope Pro. Participants receive guided practice on how to interpret "auto-classification" decisions from two software programs and how to manually confirm or reject the computer-estimated "probable species presence" results using SonoBat30. Two evening activities will demonstrate passive and active recording hardware and mobile transect techniques.  This hybrid class provides intensive, in-person, classroom-based training, as well as an option to follow most activities remotely. Informal "geek sessions" are planned during evenings for even more contact 1-on-1 time with instructors. A real dataset allows everyone to appreciate the types of issues that may arise during typical acoustic survey efforts in the region, avoiding common pitfalls others have suffered, and maximizing survey efficiency for the upcoming season. Participants will keep 80+ archetypal recordings discussed in depth for use as references, and example project data, and whatever data is recorded during field trips. Class size, including remote participants, is limited for best experience.  SonoBat Workflow and Eastern Call ID Workshop Curriculum Highlights • In-person with 3 days/31 hours of contact time with 5 instructors of combined 80+ years experience, 1 evening field recording event, 2 informal geek sessions, 2 lunches and dinners. • Passive Bat Detector Deployment Tips; active monitoring demo around a campfire • File Organization & Post-processing Acoustic Files for Analysis • Generating AutoID Outputs from SonoBat and KaleidoscopePro, Analyzing Results, Interpreting MLE Values & Determining Occupancy • Echolocation Call Characteristics of Eastern Bat Species • Viewing Full-spectrum Files in SonoBat; Using Qualitative Analysis during Manual Vetting Efforts • Tips for Success & Improving Recording Quality Visualizing Mobile Transects Pre-course Preparation: There is no pre-requisite for this training. Participants will receive a trial copy of SonoBat30 to use throughout the course. Significant sized downloads are necessary to obtain an example project to post process, ID exercise files, and resources. Remote learners are strongly suggested to use dual monitors.  Bat Acoustic Hardware and Software: In-person participants are welcome to bring their own bat detectors if desired, to set overnight in a secure location or use during the transect event. Instructors will help refine settings, and troubleshoot for successful field use. Physical location: In-person participants should plan to overnight at any of a number of hotels in Carlisle, PA. The meeting location is ~2 miles from the junction of I81/US Route 15/I76 (the PA Turnpike). Numerous restaurants are nearby.  Time and Dates: Tuesday afternoon: doors open at noon; class from 1PM-10PM. Wednesday: 10AM-6:30PM, optional field trip/geek session until midnight. Thursday: 10 AM-7:00PM. All times are Eastern. Meals: In-person meals include Tuesday night campfire snacks, salad & pizza; Wednesday breakfast snacks, full lunch and dinner at a local pub;  Thursday breakfast snacks, full lunch, and BBQ smoked wings, portabella mushrooms, salad, cornbread, mac&cheese dinner. All meals subject to change, gluten free/vegetarian options upon request. Scheduled in-person or virtual Instructors: Joe Szewczak is a Professor of Biological Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, CA, and the developer of SonoBat software to analyze and interpret bat echolocation calls.  John Chenger formed BCM in 1998 to provide bat-specific surveys nationwide, successful artificial bat roosts, and field gear.  Todd Sinander is a Wildlife Biologist and Project Manager with BCM since 2010. Andrea Rygel is a Wildlife Biologist with BCM conducting acoustic surveys across the Eastern US. David Riggs is a Cave Resource Specialist and bat acoustic expert who has assisted with BCM special projects for a decade.  Lori Chenger is our "Girl Friday" who attempts to keep everyone above on some kind of schedule, and who has real-world acoustic survey experience in at least 6 states.