Eagle Scout candidate proposes bat boxes at Meadow Pond and Town Forest parks

Catherine Brady, an Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 1175, presented a plan at the May 7 Simsbury Open Space Committee work group meeting to install bat boxes mounted on steel poles at two town parks, with an estimated project cost of about $800.

Brady told the committee the project would use “different varieties of wood, screws” and that “the main thing that will be a central cost will be steel poles” and that the project’s estimated budget “will be around $800.” She said she planned to install paired, back-to-back boxes on each pole to allow bats to choose sun exposure and increase chances of colony establishment.

The project outline included two mounting methods: an insert method using a hollow pole with a removable inner pole, and a cemented method that would require bracing and attention to frost lines and drainage. Brady said she preferred the insert method because it is removable and likely simpler to manage on town property.

Brady identified three candidate sites and said she intended to pursue two: Meadow Pond Park and Town Forest Park, each noted roughly at 41° N, 72° W in her presentation. She said a third site near soccer fields and closer to a road was less desirable because human activity and noise could deter bats. Brady ended her presentation saying, “that’s the end of my presentation,” and that she hoped to complete the work by August so she can meet Eagle Scout timing requirements.

Committee members advised additional outreach and review. Helen Peterson, who opened and led the work group meeting, said she had “no reason to object” and encouraged Brady to check back with the committee as the project progresses. A committee member noted Brady should coordinate with Marjorie Winters, chair of the Conservation Commission and a former assistant director at Roaring Brook Nature Center, for species-specific building guidance. Brady acknowledged she had not yet researched which local bat species to target and said species selection and specific attraction methods were items she planned to address later.

Town staff and committee members flagged permitting and wetlands concerns. A committee member said she had reached out to the town’s wetlands officer and expected Brady would likely need to present the plan to the wetlands committee; the committee agreed the wetlands officer’s guidance would determine whether the insert or cement method would be acceptable. The committee suggested Brady share her presentation with staff and Conservation Commission members for further review.

Brady asked for the work group’s approval to move forward with the proposal; members offered informal support but did not take a formal vote. She said she would continue communications with town staff and conservation volunteers and return with updates.

If the project proceeds, steps the committee identified include confirmation from the wetlands officer, technical guidance from the Conservation Commission (Marjorie Winters), selection of pole-mount locations, and final budgeting and fundraising to meet the roughly $800 estimate.