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High-school student urges Richardson parks commission to install bat houses to curb mosquitoes
Summary
A Richardson high-school student told the Parks and Recreation Commission he wants to place roughly 10 bat houses in Breckenridge Park, pitched Eagle Scout partnerships and volunteer monitoring, and said he hopes the commission will consider approving the pilot by March so bats can arrive in late April.
A Richardson high-school student told the Parks and Recreation Commission on Feb. 10 that he is seeking approval for a pilot project to install bat houses at Breckenridge Park to reduce mosquito populations.
"My name is Julian Thail. I'm a sophomore going to Pointe Louis Senior High, and I'm just here to spread awareness about my projects to install bat houses within the Breckenridge Park to lower the mosquito concentration," the student said during public comment. He described working with Eagle Scout volunteers and local hardware sponsorships to keep project costs low.
Julian said the bat houses would be mounted at least 10 feet off the ground and that bats can substantially reduce mosquito numbers overnight. He proposed about 10 houses for Breckenridge Park, which he described as "about 400 acres," and suggested a timeline to secure approval by early March so construction can finish before bats arrive in late April.
Commissioners asked follow-up questions about odor, human contact and monitoring. Julian acknowledged guano can smell when accumulated in attics but said external bat houses with proper airflow should not produce a nuisance, and he offered to perform annual occupancy checks and to provide periodic reports to staff.
Chair Nancy Kuo confirmed the studentwould provide his slideshow and staff said they would scan and distribute his materials to commissioners the next morning. "I will have this scanned in and sent to all of you by tomorrow morning," the chair said. Staff indicated they are already working with the student to advance the proposal.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the measure at the meeting. Staff and commissioners encouraged the student to share design details and to coordinate with parks staff and Eagle Scout organizers for permitting and installation plans.
