Minnesota Bat Festival

There are more than 1,400 species of bats worldwide, but have you ever wondered how many species of bats call Minnesota home? Come celebrate and learn about the unique role that bats play in our world during International Bat Week at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge's Visitor Center!

Activities:
See Live bats found in Minnesota
Bat house info and giveaways!
What haunts our bats? Learn about white-nose syndrome and current research
Explore the replica bat cave- how many "bats" can you find?
Bat tracking- learn how and why bat biologists track bats
Become a Junior Bat Scientist!
Test your bat smarts with bat trivia and win a prize!
Bat Story Station
Get techy at bat survey technology station
Batty crafts- take your home your own bat lino print card or make a bat mask
Gardening for bats and tree giveaway

Schedule of Events:

10:30 a.m. -11:15 a.m.- Nicole Witzel - Hennepin County    

Helping our flying friends survive and thrive
Hear from Nicole Witzel, a wildlife biologist with Hennepin County, about the bat species found in Minnesota, their threats, and how you can help bats found in your own backyard.

11:45 a.m. -12:30 p.m. - Melissa Boman - Minnesota DNR
    
Unsolved mysteries: researching Minnesota’s bats
Join Minnesota DNR Bat Biologist Melissa Boman to learn about bat research methodology! Learn how recording bat vocalizations, tracking radio signals through the forest, and counting bats at sunset can help answer important questions for bat conservation.

1:00 p.m. -1:45 p.m. - Dr. Christine Salomon - University of Minnesota    

Bats in peril: The search for treatments for white-nose syndrome in bats
Christine Salomon is a researcher at the University of Minnesota working on the development of potential treatments for white-nose syndrome, a devastating fungal disease that has drastically reduced bat populations in Minnesota.  Learn about the diverse ways that researchers across the country are trying to tackle this disease, from developing vaccines, to using UV light, to harnessing native microbes to fight the fungus.

2:15 p.m-2:55 p.m. - Jill Utrup    - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    
Fact or fiction? Dispelling myths surrounding bats
Jill Utrup, an endangered species biologist with the the Minnesota/Wisconsin Field office of the USFWS, will discuss the bad rap that bats get and will test your knowlege of these misunderstood animals. We will explore the facinating and beneficial traits of the bats found in Minnesota and beyond.

Costumes:
Batty and other costumes welcome!

Food:
Food trucks will be available.