Girl Scout builds, donates bat boxes for Polson parks

When Abbi, an 11-year-old Girl Scout, saw bats passing the days under eaves on buildings in Polson, she resolved to help build them more appropriate and safe housing.

“I wanted to give them a home, instead of them having to just sit there, out in the freezing cold,” Abbi said.

Abbi set out to earn the Bronze Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. The award required completing a “Junior Journey,” a multi-step process to make and implement a plan to leave a positive impact on her community.

Abbi researched the needs of bats and made a poster and oral presentation to Polson’s Director of Parks and Recreation Pat Nowlen. She proposed building bat boxes for Nowlen and his crew to install in city parks. He was all for it.

Working with her grandfather, Steve Heintz, they acquired a design recommended for local bats. Abbi used funds from Girl Scout cookie sales to purchase materials. Her grandfather cut out the pieces with power tools, then Abbi set about stapling a climbable mesh on the interior, screwing them together, caulking and painting them. The houses are expected to last around 20 years.

Abbi presented the final products to Nowlen at Polson Bay Golf Course on Feb. 25 — two large, black boxes, decorated with a bat stencil and initialed by the crafter herself. Nowlen said they are slated to be hung in Boetcher and Riverside parks. If more bat boxes become available, he said, they would be used to try to “solve our bat infestation problem” at the old Polson Players theater building.

Abbi recommended other students who are looking for useful projects to build bat boxes.

“It’s really fun, and it’s easy, and can give bats a home.”