Eastern Bat Call Manual Review - (PA) March 24-25, 2026

Event dates: March 24-25 (Tues-Wed), 2026
Early Bird pricing is in effect; register now to hold your seat.

Note: this is a somewhat advanced class ideal for those who have previously attended an acoustic course from BCM, BatSS, Vesper, or have prior manual review experience. However, enthusiastic beginners may also benefit as there is informal ID explanation built into the program, and participants have access to bat call ID resources before class. 

This class focuses specifically on identifying bat call sequences from the Eastern US. It is intended to be a natural continuation of other bat acoustic workshops where we introduce manual vetting of bat calls.

Two weeks prior to class, participants download ~150 real-world recordings of bat calls recorded in the Eastern US divided into three sessions: high frequency non-myotis, low frequency non-myotis, and myotis. These recordings are not found in other workshop collections. Some time should be devoted prior to class to identify these files. During class, species characteristics will be reviewed informally and each recording discussed. Participants are provided a trial copy of SonoBat30, ID keys, a copy of a formal ID lecture, and a 40 minute introductory lecture to aid in this endeavor. We recommend SonoBat for manually reviewing bat calls, but participants are free to use any tool they are familiar with, as the object of this class is strictly call ID and not data management & workflow.

This hybrid class provides in-person classroom-based training environment, as well as an option to follow activities remotely. Consider being "in-person" for more contact 1-on-1 time with instructors. A collection of recordings from all bats found in the Northeast, Southeast, and Florida allows everyone to appreciate the types of issues that may arise during typical acoustic survey efforts in the region. Participants will keep 150+ recordings discussed in depth for use as references, and learn how to attach notes to files for quick reference. Class size, including remote participants, is limited for best experience. 

Workshop Highlights

• In-person with 2 days/10 hours of contact time with up to 5 instructors of combined 80+ years experience, 1 dinner, and snacks.

• Brief review of call ID, plenty of informal discussion

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

• Bat calls unique to this workshop

Pre-course Preparation: There is no pre-requisite for this training,  although we recommend a prior knowledge of bat call ID will be very helpful. 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. 

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: Doors open at 10:30 AM; class from 12PM-5PM. All times are Eastern.

Meals: In-person meals include snacks and dinner at a local pub. 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.