Kelly Sheldrick, Rochelle Steven, and Trish Fleming of The Conversation studied whether citizen science could help researchers find and study microbats in Australia while also measuring what participants gain from involvement.
The researchers analyzed 51 published bat citizen science studies worldwide and found acoustic surveys using ultrasonic detectors were the most common approach. They then conducted their own study in 2025, inviting residents from the City of Wanneroo in Perth, Australia to search for bats using detectors connected to smartphones.
Volunteers completed three rounds of questionnaires about their bat knowledge, attitudes toward bats, and connection to nature. Before training, after training, and after conducting surveys, participants showed increased knowledge about bats and stronger feelings of connection to nature. One participant reported overcoming previous fear of bats due to "lack of exposure" to bat-related activities and said they enjoyed seeing evidence of bats on the detector after participating.
The volunteers recorded five bat species across 23 surveys. Gould's wattled bat (Chalinolobus gouldii) was the most common, while Holt's long-eared bat (Nyctophilus holtorum) was detected for the first time within the City of Wanneroo. Chocolate wattled bats (Chalinolobus morio) did not appear at urban survey sites.
The findings show which bat species use Perth's urban landscapes and raise questions about why some species adapt better to urban areas than others. Many volunteers valued the opportunity to observe nocturnal animals safely and use scientific tools, potentially developing appreciation for animals they previously feared.