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Albany interns report on habitat projects: bat houses, creek survey and November native‑plant workshop
Summary
City of Albany interns showcased summer projects including two salvaged‑redwood bat houses intended to provide alternative roosts ahead of eucalyptus removal, a creek biosurvey that found nutrient elevation and pollution‑tolerant bugs, and a November native‑plant and fire‑safety workshop with fire‑department participation.
Margo Cunningham, Albany’s Natural Areas Manager, introduced the city’s Habitat Restoration Internship program and said interns have contributed hands‑on restoration and monitoring work across Albany Hill.
Intern Nina described building two bat houses from salvaged redwood and plans to mount them in the hilltop’s Monarch Protection Zone on trees not slated for removal. “Each of the bat houses can house 300 bats at a time,” Nina said, explaining the boxes’ internal slot chambers and the plan to mount them about 15–20 feet up to limit predation. She said the boxes will be hung this year so bats have time to locate them before eucalyptus removals begin.
Nina also summarized a creek biosurvey conducted with Urban Tilth technicians that included benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring and EPA‑guided habitat scoring. She said findings indicated mostly pollution‑tolerant and mid‑range macroinvertebrates and elevated nitrates and phosphates in chemical tests — a common pattern in urban waterways. The interns recommended continued riparian planting to strengthen the creek’s buffer; staff said broader watershed runoff remains a regional challenge.
The presentation wrapped with a description of a planned November native‑plants and fire‑safety workshop on Albany Hill intended to connect neighbors with planting guidance and basic home hardening tips from a fire‑department lieutenant. Staff said the event will include a short hill tour to illustrate fuels‑management practices used in the city’s natural areas.
Commissioners and attendees asked technical questions about bat‑house capacity, placement and potential interactions with monarchs. Nina said bats forage at dusk and dawn and, based on volunteer monitoring and iNaturalist detections, several bat species have been recorded around Albany Hill; she suggested using acoustic monitoring and timed dusk counts to estimate occupancy. A pollinator coordinator in the audience noted the Mexican free‑tailed bat is the only major pollinating bat in California but said it is not the only species present in the region.
Staff and commissioners praised the internship work and noted a letter from Susan Schwartz of Friends of Five Creeks commending the program. The department said slides and a recording of the presentation will be posted on the city website for those who missed it.
The next step is continued monitoring and outreach tied to the eucalyptus removal timeline; staff emphasized the bat boxes are intended to replace habitat to support bats during tree work.
