The City of Greater Geelong will install smart irrigation infrastructure in Geelong's Eastern Park in the coming months to assist in reducing heat stress deaths within our Grey-headed Flying-fox colony.
These large fruit bats are a vulnerable species that are vital native pollinators and seed dispersers. They are key to supporting biodiversity in Greater Geelong and protecting local ecosystems.
The Grey-headed Flying-fox species can experience dehydration, hyperthermia, and death during major heat events. To address this issue, the City will utilise sensing equipment that monitors temperature and humidity levels within the colony, and a new specially designed irrigating system that cools the environment, based on learned trigger points.
The organisation is working with local land managers, community groups such as the Friends of Bats and Bushcare, and the East Geelong Golf Club to identify the most suitable locations for the equipment and to ensure that the natural behaviour of the flying foxes isn't disturbed.
Mayor Trent Sullivan:
The City's work to innovatively deploy smart technologies to help native wildlife is exciting.By monitoring environmental conditions and using a data-led cooling strategy, we hope to reduce heat related mortality in the Grey-headed Flying-fox colony and improve understanding of heat stress impacts.
The project will also serve as a model for other regions that experience heat stress events and are seeking strategies to protect flying fox populations.
Councillor Eddy Kontelj, Chair of the Active Spaces portfolio:
This project showcases Greater Geelong as a leader in environmental protection through the use of technology and innovation.We are hoping to create tangible change for this vulnerable Grey-headed Flying-fox population, while using the data to inform decisions about environmental sustainability and resilience.
The City will also develop educational resources to raise awareness about the importance of protecting flying fox colonies and how cooling strategies can reduce heat-related deaths.
The Grey Headed Flying Fox sprinkler and monitoring system in Eastern Gardens is supported by the Victorian Government, which has provided the Friends of Bushcare and Bats Inc. $100,000 for the project.
Member for Geelong Christine Couzens:
This new sprinkler system and associated technology will help protect Geelong's vulnerable Grey-headed Flying-fox population and our environment as we deal with the effects of climate change, particularly in the summer months.
Jarrah Wadsworth, Geelong branch coordinator of the Friends of Bushcare and Bats Inc's heat event response:
Without Grey-headed Flying-foxes, our ecosystem would be drastically different or cease to exist.During heat events, we do our best to monitor and help vulnerable bats experiencing heat stress when they drop from the trees, however we still lost upwards of 50 during a 2019 heat event which is 50 too many.
This critical project will be a huge shift in the level of protection and care we can offer this keystone species, as the sprinkler system will proactively prevent deaths and lessen the number of pups becoming orphans.
The City already has five sensors in trees at Eastern Park to monitor temperature and humidity patterns in the habitat.
Despite there being a significant population of these flying foxes in the park, total population numbers are rapidly declining, making this important native pollinator a vulnerable species.
Understanding how climate change is impacting their behaviour and roosting patterns over time will help to inform protection measures.
