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Big brown bats, aka Eptesicus fuscus, are among the more common bats in Colorado and one of 13 species found in Durango. They are also some the fastest, reaching speeds of 40 mph./ Photo by Michael Durham
To the bat cave! ‘Bat walks’ take to the night skies to better appreciate our nocturnal neighbors by Kathleen O’Connor
evening bat walks for the community. There are programs throughurango’s got bats, and the out the U.S., and BCI ultimately Powerhouse Science Center hopes to see the program expand would like to introduce you to internationally. them. In partnership with Bat ConIn Durango, eight organizations servation International (BCI), the and various Colorado state parks Powerhouse is bringing some bat edparticipated in the online bat walk ucation and citizen science-styled bat training, including not only staff walks to Durango starting this members from the Powerhouse, but month. In addition to dispelling also the Weminuche and Rockies some of the myths around bats, such Audubon societies, and the Southas “bats like to fly into your hair” ern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute (they don’t) and “bats are just flying tribes. In addition, all participants rodents” (they’re not), the bat walks attended an in-person evening seswill provide opportunities for collect- If you see a group of people looking at the night sky sion that taught them how to use ing essential monitoring data on local and pointing, chances are they’re on a bat walk. the BCI-provided bat detectors. The bat populations, as well as give particdetectors plug easily into a smartJusttheFacts ipants a chance for a somewhat up-close phone or tablet, allowing users to hear and What: Powerhouse Bat Walks and personal bat encounter with some of record bat echolocation calls. “This device When: 6:30 p.m., Tues., Sept. 21 the 13 bat species found in the area. also identifies the bat species through its Info: Sign up at powsci.org (space is Sasha Creeden, education director at the unique call, which is probably the most exlimited); free for Powerhouse members; Powerhouse, is looking forward to adding citing part,” Cord said. $5 for nonmembers the bat walks to the educational programDuring the practice walk on the Animas ming at the Powerhouse. “We are very exRiver Trail in Durango, participants obcited to be offering bat monitoring and program in 2019, the bat walks were de- served several different bats species almost information about the importance of bats signed with the intention of sparking a na- immediately. Some of the species recorded to the Durango community,” she said. In tionwide movement toward a new kind of by the detector included the pallid bat, the addition to getting outside and identifying nature experience. Mexican free-tailed bat, the spotted bat and “We would like to bring bats to every- the big brown bat, one of the more comthe bats found in the area, the walks will also include pertinent information on local one,” BCI’s Bat Walks coordinator Erin Cord monly observed bats in Colorado. “The bats’ natural history, conservation and the said. “Unless you live near a large bat roost number and diversity of species we saw with integral role bats play in a healthy ecosys- or colony, most people don’t really think almost no effort was amazing,” Cord said. tem through insect consumption and polli- about bats as being a part of their local “This technology allows many people to nation. (Fun bat fact: agave plants, from wildlife. With the bat walks, we can intro- hear and notice their neighborhood bats for which tequila is produced, are pollinated duce them to a whole new nighttime world the first time. It is a real game changer for mainly by a nectar-feeding bat. Remember right in their own community.” any bat walks program,” she said. To that end, BCI developed the bat walk that the next time you’re sipping on a marFor more information on Bat Conservation training program to allow interested organ- International and their bat walks program, visit garita). Initially created by BCI through a pilot izations to get staff members trained to lead www.batcon.org. ■
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telegraph
