Opal Byworth, a University of Western Australia (UWA) student majoring in Zoology, is inspired to pursue a career in environmental conservation, after their work promoting the importance of bats through a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship with the Conservation Council of Western Australia.
“I was intrigued by the McCusker Centre program and wanted to give it a spin to get out of my comfort zone,” Opal said.
“Not only was it a great way to get experience in a professional work environment, it was an opportunity to make likeminded friends and connections, and to not feel so alone in the fight to make the world a better place.”
Opal’s internship projects included writing education booklets on bats and working with Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA) staff on the Bat Box Monitoring Program, helping to create a roost database, spreadsheets and protocols.
“Writing seven educational booklets on bats in different regions of WA was a highlight of the internship, as well as writing what was essentially my first article,” Opal said.
“The article, ‘Good Intentions Gone Wrong’, highlights the issues with disclosing location data of endangered species, and the balancing act of drawing awareness to these species while keeping them safe and secure.
“I was also able to take an echo detector out on my own, collecting bat call data which included social and foraging calls, and was able to correctly identify the two species of bat in the recordings.”
Liam Lilly, Program Coordinator at CCWA, said that the booklets Opal had produced were high quality resources, and Opal had been “a great addition to the Citizen Science Program”.
“CCWA’s Citizen Science Program gives communities across WA the opportunity to get hands-on experience in a wide range of conservation projects. Our bat monitoring program helps with the protection, and appreciation of bats and the role they play in the ecosystem – including key roles in pollination, seed dispersal and pest control,” Mr Lilly said.
“Opal immediately recognised the importance of bats to our ecosystem and the added benefits of getting local citizens involved in conservation. Opal played an active and supportive role in the success of this program,” he said.
Opal said the internship had reignited their love for conservation.
“My love for bats has sky-rocketed and I find myself thinking more about how I can contribute to better understanding them, and to educate the public on the importance of bats to our ecosystems.
“Being able to share knowledge and de-villainise bats in the public eye will bring about a greater appreciation for how important they are.”