Stellar turnout to learn about bats

Peggy Plass, of the Headwaters MN Chapter, educated us on bats in general and on our local bats as we watched them coursing above the pond. Fun evening!

Diane Lepkowski, Cohort VII, via Facebook

On Friday, September 22, Headwaters Master Naturalists partnered with Bat Conservation and Rescue of Virginia (BCRV) and the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at James Madison University to offer a “bat watch” at the pond in the Arboretum. More than 80 people from the community came to talk about bats, and to watch them emerge and fly around the pond just after sunset. 

Work that BCRV and HMN have done at the Arboretum over the summer has indicated that there are populations of Eastern Red Bats and Big Brown Bats at the Arboretum, and very likely some Tri-Colored Bats as well. Tri-Coloreds are endangered in Virginia, so knowing that they’re living in the middle of Harrisonburg is quite exciting! In addition to offering information about bats, HMN Peggy Plass talked with the participants about doing acoustic bat monitoring, and there was a bat monitor on hand for visitors to check out.

The turn out for the event was unexpectedly large, so much so that we’re planning to make this a more frequent event next year! We’re discussing with the Arboretum and the BCRV about doing a “bat watch” with Harrisonburg community members every other week through the late Spring to early Fall bat season. If you’re interested in being a volunteer to host these events, you can talk with Peggy Plass (president) or Pam Gray (Projects Committee Chair) for more information! 

– Peggy Plass, HMN President, September 2023

Thanks to Steven David Johnson for sharing these lovely photos from the evening: