Bat Acoustic Workflow & Eastern Call ID Workshop - Carlisle, PA & Online March 3-5, 2026

Event dates: March 3-5 (Tues-Thurs), 2026
Early Bird pricing is in effect; register now to hold your seat.
Continuing education? 20% discount for those who have previously participated in any multi-day BCM or BatSS class.  

This class jumpstarts users towards responsibly interpreting acoustic bat detector studies required by agencies, clients, and professional researchers. The focus is on post processing bat acoustic data and Eastern US species ID, featuring the SonoBat software program. Participants receive guided practice on how to manually confirm or reject "auto-classification" decisions from the two most accurate bat analysis program in North America.

This hybrid class provides very intensive in-person classroom-based training, as well as an option to follow most activities remotely. Consider being "in-person" for even more contact 1-on-1 time with instructors. A real example dataset allows everyone to appreciate the types of issues that may arise during typical acoustic survey efforts in the region, avoiding common pitfalls others have suffered, and maximizing survey efficiency. Participants will keep 85+ archetypal recordings discussed in depth for use as references, example post-processed project data, and whatever data is recorded during field trips. Class size, including remote participants, is limited for best experience. 

Workshop Highlights

• In-person with 3 days/31 hours of contact time with up to 5 instructors of combined 80+ years experience, 2 lunches, 1 dinner, and breakfast snacks.

• File Organization & Post-processing Acoustic Files for Analysis

• Generating AutoID Outputs from  SonoBat and KaleidoscopePro (optional), Analyzing Results, Interpreting MLE Values & Determining Occupancy

• Echolocation Call Characteristics of Eastern Bat Species

• Viewing Full-spectrum Files in SonoBat; Using Qualitative Analysis during Manual Vetting Efforts

• Tips for Success & Improving Recording Quality

• Visualizing Mobile Transects

Pre-course Preparation: There is no pre-requisite for this training. Participants will receive a trial copy of SonoBat30 to use throughout the course. Significant sized downloads are necessary to obtain an example project to post process, ID exercise files, and resources. Remote learners are strongly suggested to use dual computers (one for the class, another for SonoBat) and dual monitors for SonoBat. 

Bat Acoustic Hardware and Software: In-person participants are welcome to bring their own bat detectors if desired, to set overnight in a secure location. Instructors will help refine settings, and troubleshoot for successful field use. Note: the time of this event is before much bat activity is occurring, so little if any recordings are expected.

Physical location: In-person participants should plan to overnight at any of a number of hotels in Carlisle, PA. The meeting location is ~2 miles from the junction of I81/US Route 15/I76 (the PA Turnpike). Numerous restaurants are nearby. 

Time and Dates: Tuesday afternoon: doors open at 11 AM; class from 12PM-8PM. Wednesday: 10AM-5:30PM, optional field trip/geek session until midnight. Thursday: 10 AM-5:00PM. All times are Eastern.

Meals: In-person meals include Tuesday night campfire snacks, salad & pizza; Wednesday breakfast snacks, full lunch and dinner at a local pub;  Thursday breakfast snacks, full lunch, and BBQ smoked wings, portabella mushrooms, salad, cornbread, mac&cheese dinner. All meals subject to change, gluten free/vegetarian options upon request.

Scheduled in-person or virtual Instructors:

John Chenger formed BCM in 1998 to provide bat acoustic, capture, telemetry, habitat, and emergence surveys nationwide, successful artificial bat roosts, and field gear. 

Lori Chenger is our "Girl Friday" who attempts to keep everyone above on some kind of schedule, and who has real-world acoustic survey experience in at least 6 states.

Andrea Rygel is a Wildlife Biologist with BCM conducting acoustic surveys across the Eastern US.

Todd Sinander is a Wildlife Biologist and Project Manager with BCM since 2010.

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.