Bats in West Bloomfield Just in Time for Halloween

A large flying fox bat (Pteropus vampyrus) from Africa will be among the live species a bat educator from the Organization for Bat Conservation will bring to the upcoming program sponsored by West Bloomfield Parks & Recreation Commission. (Photo by Simon J. Tonge via Wikimedia/Creative Commons)

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What better time than the Halloween season to learn about bats?

The West Bloomfield Parks & Recreation Commission is sponsoring a program featuring live bats from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at the Recreation Activities Center.

According to bat educators, bats save billions of dollars in pesticides, are natural pollinators and seed spreaders.

The multi-media program will cover those topics, as well as how bats use sound waves (echolocation) to navigate in the dark, as well as their role in the food web and conservation and eco systems.

Live bats that will be included in the program include an insect-eating bat from North America, the leaf-nosed bat from South American and a large flying fox bat from Africa.

The program is for children ages 3 and older. Register here.

The Organization for Bat Conservation is housed at the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills.