Bat 2 (Mission, TX) – Bats are beneficial to our neighborhoods and the health of our communities, but they are all too often misunderstood and villainized. Of the more than 1,100 species of bats in the world, only three are vampire bats; the rest consume fruit and insects. In fact, a single bat can consume up to 600 mosquitoes in one hour!

Most prevalent in the Rio Grande Valley are the Mexican Free-tailed bats. These highly social creatures like to reside in colonies and communal roosts. Whether it’s a mother and her pups or a bunch of bachelors, this mammal finds warmth and protection in group homes; so you may entice them to take up residence in your yard by providing appropriate shelter.

The National Butterfly Center is hosting a bat education and house-building workshop on Saturday, February 27, from 10 AM – 12 PM. Everyone is invited to join graduate student Katharine Jones in the Chrysalis Visitor’s Pavilion to learn all about the good, the bad and the glorious aspects of these fascinating creatures!

“I am not sure when my passion for bats began to grow,” states Jones, “But my mother is responsible for my fascination with wildlife. Instead of cartoons on the couch, we were brought up with nature documentaries and trail time, where she always seemed to focus on the ‘underdogs’of our ecosystems—like the ‘possums and other animals that get a bad rap. As a result, I learned to appreciate all the positive traits and behaviors of these creatures, instead of thinking they were disgusting.”

An active Master Naturalist, Jones is now working toward her Masters of Science by studying bats and their agricultural role in pest control for organic farmers.

“Bats are pretty amazing,” asserts Marianna Trevino-Wright, executive director of the National Butterfly Center. “Many people know about the enormous urban colony in Austin, under the Congress Street Bridge, but we have a large and growing community of them in Mission, at the Expressway 83 overpass at Conway. These bats not only help humans by consuming millions of night-flying mosquitoes that can spread disease, but also pollinate native plants. We hope this workshop will help people understand bats better so they do not fear them, but have a healthy respect for them.”

Jones’ brief program will be followed by a short hike down the Hackberry Trail with a discussion of what bats need in terms of ideal housing. Bat house construction will then take place outdoors, under the Monarch Palapa, in the research gardens. The fee for this program is $5/person to cover the cost of materials. No reservations required. We hope to see you, here!

For more information or to learn more about the National Butterfly Center, visit www.nationalbutterflycenter.org, or call 956.583.5400. You can also find us on Facebook, or schedule your school field trip for 2016, at this time.

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The National Butterfly Center is committed to ‘Growing Connections’ between people, plants, and the winged wonders that pollinate and propagate all that grows around us. We do this through educational and environmental initiatives that cultivate meaningful understanding of the processes that create sustainable ecosystems. The Center is open to the public, for visitors and members, seven days/week. Your annual membership or charitable gift impacts the beauty of our community and helps preserve the biologically diverse, natural treasures of deep South Texas.