Bat Acoustic Field Monitoring & Eastern Call ID Workshop (KY) September 8-11, 2026 (registration opens soon)

• 4 Days and 5 nights Tuesday morning September 8- Friday night September 11, 2026
• Monday September 1- optional bonus evening field trip for early arrivals; video + record CORRAF or MYOGRI swarm
• Microphone Micrositing
• Data workflow and basic management
• Eastern US bat call identification
• Manual review of recordings
• SonoBat and SonoBatLIVE trial software (approved by USFWS for environmental review projects)
• Hands-on deploying bat detectors & post processing recording data
• Learn to weed out non-bat sounds, recognize call quality, and confirm or reject software classifications
• Learn to display Kaleidoscope Pro, SonoBat, and manual ID decisions side-by-side
• In-person, featuring SonoBat Joe & John Chenger; 80+ years combined experience 
• Nightly Geek Sessions; post processing party; 1:1 collaboration opportunities
• Already took a BCM/BatSS Acoustic class? Discount available for those continuing education

Instructors cover techniques for properly deploying stationary acoustic monitoring stations and how to conduct mobile transects. We focus on equipment selection, configuring appropriate settings, micrositing, data collection, organization, and management workflows. Participants learn how to post-process data with SonoBat and Kaleidoscope software with hands-on practice interpreting and manually confirming or rejecting "auto-classification" decisions and computer-generated "probable species presence" results. Participants become empowered to design and conduct their own acoustic surveys to satisfy and enhance any USFWS, NABAT, or state bat acoustic survey protocol.

Our workshop location is in the geologically world-class sinkhole plain of western Kentucky, which includes extraordinary Mammoth Cave National Park. At over 450 -miles- of surveyed passage, Mammoth Cave is without question the longest and most studied cave in the world. Our event employs the most current inventory and monitoring techniques and serve as a valuable addition to the long-term monitoring efforts for bats in an area. The Horse Cave-Cave City venue is especially valuable for instruction because of the diversity of local habitats providing roosts, foraging, watering, and hibernacula resources for 11+ species of bats. 

Scheduled Lecture and/or Demonstration Topics: The course curriculum combines a combination of classroom lecture/discussions, demonstrations, and night-time field work. Expect 12 hour days including in-person classroom lectures and live demonstrations primarily using the SonoBat software for acoustic workflow. This is an IN PERSON training. For participants with some prior bat handling experience, there is a special opportunity to participate in bat capture events, after which bats will be light-tagged to obtain "voucher" recordings of known species. This workshop is primarily an acoustic event, there are no formal lectures discussing netting, handling, or bat physical ID. Note this workshop may not tour the interior of any caves; please consider arriving a day early or staying a day later to visit one of the numerous tour options inside Mammoth Cave. We have an additional Bat Capture & Handling Workshop, if one week of battiness isn't quite enough.

The Nature of Ultrasound
Bat Detector Technology
Acoustic Identification of Eastern U.S. Bat Species
Bat Detector Placement and Micro-siting
Data Wizard Workflow for Off-loading Data and Post-processing
Introduction to SonoBat: Basic Operations
Manual Review of Passive Recordings & SonoVet
Adding Kaleidoscope Pro to SonoBat Output
Mobile Transects
Assessing Survey Effort and Microphone Quality

Dates: Tuesday morning September 8 thru Friday night September 11, 2025. Monday evening September 7 is an optional field trip opportunity to collect acoustic and video recordings of Rafinesque's big-eared bats. Formal training begins promptly at 9:30 central time on Tuesday and will end late Friday night. 

Meet Times & Lecture Location: For Monday's evening 4:30 PM field trip, see email from event organizer. Tuesday is 9:30AM central time at the American Cave Museum conference room in downtown Horse Cave, KY. This workshop is not presented at Mammoth Cave National Park, only certain field research visits are in the park.

Airport(s): The most convenient airport is Nashville International Airport (BNA), which is about 2 hours by vehicle and in Central Time zone. Louisville International Airport (SDF) and Blue Grass Airport in Lexington (LEX) are 2-3 hours away respectively but are in Eastern Time zone.

Lodging: Lodging is not included in the cost of this training, and participants are encouraged to make their own lodging arrangements. Inexpensive hotels are located immediately nearby in Horse Cave or  Cave City

Meals:  Three lunches and one dinner is provided during this workshop, and a number of food options are within walking distance from the conference room. Coffee will be available during daytimes.

Pre-course Preparation: There is no pre-requisite for this training. The curriculum, demonstrations, and field practicums are designed to provide an overview of bat survey methods for North American species. Students should be prepared to hike over uneven terrain, at night. Participants must bring personal field gear including headlamps, appropriate clothing and footwear. Insect repellent for chiggers, ticks, and mosquitos is strongly advised, and poison ivy is present at most field sites. There is opportunity for at least one night of netting for those with some prior experience; bat handling gloves and rabies vaccination are required. All survey equipment for capturing bats is provided.

Bat Acoustic Hardware and Software: A limited number of Pettersson D500x , Titley Ranger, and SonoBatLIVE recorders are available for acoustic monitoring. Students are welcome to bring their own bat detectors as desired. Instructors will help design recording schedules, refine settings, and troubleshoot for successful field use. Participants will be given a full working trial of the SonoBat software to use with the live demos.

Approximately ten-days prior to the start of class, students will receive a complete list of what to bring and how to prepare for class, but feel free to contact us at any time if you have specific questions about the class or how to prepare. No prior bat-work experience is necessary. 

How to Register: Please register by ordering online on this page. NOTE: To register multiple people, please checkout each person individually so that we can obtain the proper contact information for each participant. Student discount does not apply to consulting agencies. Registration is not refundable after August 1, but is transferable. 

All participants are expected to have personal insurance coverage. All participants are expected to sign a liability waiver and photo release at the start of the workshop. 

Scheduled in-person 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 learned how to survey bats while at the PA Game Commission for ~10 years. He then formed BCM in 1998 further evolving bat surveys, artificial bat roosts, capture gear, and training classes nationwide. 

Lori Chenger attempts to keep everyone on some kind of schedule, has real-world acoustic survey experience in at least 6 states, and is a qualified Indiana bat surveyor.