This project investigates how proximity to water affects bat activity in two New York City parks: Randall’s Island (2022 BioBlitz) and Brooklyn Bridge Park (2025 BioBlitz). By analyzing iNaturalist observations across multiple sampling sites, we identified a clear pattern—areas closest to water consistently had the highest number of bat detections. On Randall’s Island, 60.67% of all bat observations occurred in locations classified as adjacent to water, with Field 54 and the Salt Marsh showing the greatest activity. Similarly, at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1—situated just feet from the East River—recorded six times more bat detections than Pier 5 farther inland. These parallel trends suggest that water availability enhances foraging opportunities, likely due to higher insect abundance and open flight paths. Despite limitations such as short sampling periods and potential repeated detections, the combined results from both parks support a mild but consistent positive relationship between bat abundance and proximity to water in urban environments.
