The Fifth Annual Indiana Bat Festival will be held at Indiana State University, Saturday, August 27, 2011. Free activities, including live bat demonstrations and talks by leading bat biologists, will be presented at ISU. This year’s festival is shaping up to be a great forum with plenty of activities to educate young and old in a fun environment.
Speakers during the event include John O. Whitaker, Jr., director of the Center for North American Bat Research and Conservation and Rob Mies with the Organization for Bat Conservation. You won’t want to miss seeing bats live and up close. Rob Mies will give a demonstration the kids and grownups will truly enjoy. Rob’s demonstration uses live bats, including large fruit bats and other exotic species.
State and federal agencies and other organizations will also be there to answer questions and provide information. More activities are scheduled for after dark when the bats are flying. Visit our website for more details coming soon.
The festival emphasizes that people don't have to be afraid of bats. With all the media discussion of “going green”, John Whitaker raises the issue that, "most bats are insect eaters, but what people don't realize is that bats eat many harmful insects. These harmful insects are detrimental to crops that farmers raise. Crops can be beneficially affected in natural ways simply through bats being present. If we have a healthy bat population we should have decreased crop damages," he said. "This should reduce the use of harmful pesticides and give us a cleaner water supply as well."
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Presentations from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cost: FREE
Location: Science Building, Indiana State University
Bat Science Night
7:00 pm to 10:00pm
Cost: FREE
Location: Dobbs Park, Terre Haute Indiana
Source: ISU Bat Center