Bat Hibernacula & Gate Workshop (PA) Sept 21 - 25, 2026

A limited number of registrations are available for sponsoring organizations; current PA Game Commission and PA DCNR employees. Early bird registration ends July 15. 12th National Bat Gating Workshop Sponsored by: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Kennedy Above/Under Ground, LLC, and Bat Conservation and Management, Inc. Since 1997 a series of National Cave Gating Workshops have been organized, sponsored, and taught by a loose consortium of some of the best cave and mine gaters in the United States, with a cumulative total of over 100 years gating experience and over 1,000 successful gates built. Workshop days are spent in the field, getting hands-on experience with site management, materials handling, personnel safety, gate design, placement, construction techniques, and site restoration. Lectures include bat gate evolution, gating do’s and don’ts, cave microclimate, bat cave and mine assessment techniques, project management, and similar topics. We discuss closure options other than gates, and when they should and should not be used. Technical details of design, construction and logistics will be presented, along with case studies of restorations in PA and nationwide. Excellent handouts and certificates of completion will be provided to all participants. Class size will be limited, but participation is open to any interested persons. The workshop is especially valuable for agency resource managers, conservationists, cavers, consultants, and gating contractors. All participants should be aware that they will be expected to do hard manual labor, and should come prepared to lift and carry heavy objects, and work in dark, cramped, and sometimes wet conditions. Helmets, headlamps, leather work gloves, and work boots are mandatory.  Old work clothes and a small pack with snacks, etc. are recommended at the field site. Field lunches and beverages will be provided on site. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from our lodging/lecture space in Wilkes-Barre and to the gating site. Because we will be possibly visiting bat hibernacula that is WNS positive, follow all USFWS recommended decontamination procedures (wash clothes or seal in plastic for later wash) before returning to a WNS-negative area for bat work. (WNS info is at the White Nose Syndrome website at https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/static-page/decontamination-information.) White Nose Syndrome is a devastating disease that has already killed millions of bats, making our protection efforts at these hibernacula even more important. Date and Time: Monday September 22-Friday September 26, 2025: 5 full days and evenings. Lectures occur on day 1, with gate construction fieldwork and field trips during the subsequent days. Each evening a gourmet dinner is provided, and during dessert one additional special lecture is provided. The first presentation is noon Monday September 22. Location: Lectures and meals are provided at the Kirby & Kirby Episcopal House, 381 Sunset Rd, Mountain Top, PA 18707. Overnight lodging is provided at the Kirby House (a restored historic mansion), usually 2-3 people per room, with two rooms sharing one bathroom. On-your-own lodging is available from numerous nearby hotels. The field site is located just west of Glen Lyon, PA.  Course objectives: Participants will learn how to assess bat hibernacula, identify important sites, how to not destroy important hibernacula, and most intriguing how to enhance sites to be more suitable for bats. Participants will understand the pros and cons of various cave and mine closure options, concentrating on bat-friendly closures. They will understand the closure process from initial assessment and prioritization to design, logistical planning, construction, and follow-up maintenance and monitoring. We will visit several examples of modern mine closures. You will gain hands-on experience in constructing a bat-friendly gate. Topics Covered: Cave and Mine Assessment for Bats Historical setting of Project Site The importance of Project Area to bats Mine & Cave gating history, successes and failures Microclimate monitoring and restoration Bat Cave Assessment PA Bat Hibernacula PA Case Studies of Restoring and Enhancing Hibernacula Gating details Equipment and personnel Site safety: note you may be exposed to heights, cliff faces, unexpected open shafts, falling/collapsing rock, ladders, airborne metal shards, sharp edges, bee stings, welding glare & smoke. Closure design and placement Materials and anchoring options Removable bars and swinging doors Signage and surveillance Meals: Breakfast (4), sack lunch (3), and dinners (4) are provided, but you must sign up for meals. Beverages are available at the Project Site. We suggest bringing your own snacks and beverages if desired or if you have special dietary restrictions. Event Instructors: Jim Kennedy, Kennedy Above/Under Ground; John Chenger, Bat Conservation and Management. Additional Instructors: Greg Turner & Mike Scafini, PA Game Commission. Costs: Limited number of slots are available for current PA Game Commission and PA DCNR employees. $775.00 for all others early bird registration until July 15; $975.00 afterwards. Registration fee is not refundable after August 1. The registration fee for all our workshops is one cost regardless how many days someone participates, or if they take advantage of the provided lodging, food, or other resources offered.   How to Register: ONE registration per order please to capture individual participants information using the shopping cart button on this page. After registering, please complete the participant pre-event questionnaire and select the "bat gate" option: https://batmanagement.com/pages/registration Please register by ordering online; if sold out, email sales@batmanagement.com to be placed on a waiting list should slots become available. Participants will receive additional registration form for skills, meals, and additional how to prepare info. Feel free to contact us any time if you have additional specific questions about the workshop or how to prepare. All participants are expected to have personal insurance coverage. All participants are expected to sign a liability waiver and photo release at the start of the workshop.