Eversource volunteers building bat houses on the Cape Cod National Seashore

So, here’s the big question: Why on earth would an energy company’s volunteers swoop in to help save bats and get them off the endangered species list?!

The answer: There are nine species of bats that live in Massachusetts, five of which are listed as endangered. And because we’re committed to preserving the environment and protecting endangered species, our volunteers were here on the Cape Cod National Seashore with our partners from the National Parks Services building bat houses. Plus, bats are bug-eating machines! A single bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes an hour, invaluable to our natural ecosystem.

Michael Raymonds with the National Park Service shows volunteers a photo of an endangered Little Brown Bat suffering from White Nose Syndrome

These widely misunderstood and sometimes feared creatures have been dying off at a disturbing rate for a number of reasons including disease and lack of places to safely live and raise their young. Even our once most common bat, the Little Brown Bat, is on the state’s endangered species list.

“Bats are essential to our ecosystem and one of the best ways to support bat conservation is by installing an artificial roost, like a bat house,” said Eversource Manager of Environmental Permitting Denise Bartone. “Building bat houses on the Cape’s National Seashore helps us care for land we all can enjoy while taking care to foster biodiversity, promote conservation, and protect wildlife.”

These bat houses will be put up near trees, both in the sun to keep them warm during hibernation and high enough to keep feral cats and owls from getting them. We also used plenty of caulk to seal up the houses to keep them dry inside. Bats live in colonies and one of these bat houses can hold hundreds of bats. According to the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, bats play an essential role in pest control, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. Recent studies estimate that bats eat enough pests to save more than $1 billion per year in crop damage and pesticide costs in the United States corn industry alone.

Sustainability and Environmental Affairs Vice President Marc Richards and Manager of Environmental Licensing & Permitting Denise Bartone work together to build a bat house on the Cape Cod National Seashore

This effort to protect bats is yet another example of our volunteers embodying our commitment to our customers and communities to lead by example and be a force for positive change—understanding that environmental stewardship is critical to our region’s success and high quality of life.