In general, bat populations are susceptible to decline because of low reproductive rates, and many species congregate at a limited number of locations during critical stages of their natural history cycle (i.e. hibernacula and maternity colonies). Lack of information on basic ecology and trends is one of the greatest limitations to conservation of bat species. With growing monitoring demands, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has turned to the WI Citizen-Based Monitoring Network for assistance with monitoring bats. In the United Kingdom, using trained citizens to collect long-term bat data has proven a cost-effective solution with successful results for gathering large-scale inventory and monitoring data. The Wisconsin DNR is employing a similar approach by using Citizen-Based Monitoring Network Volunteers to monitor Wisconsin's bat population.