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Learn about Tennessee’s bats at UT Arboretum on Thursday

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Photo courtesy University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

Photo courtesy University of Tennessee Arboretum Society

 

You can learn about the 16 species of Tennessee bats at the University of Tennessee Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

Sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society, this family friendly program will be led by Pandy English, the assistant chief of biodiversity for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, a press release said. It’s scheduled to start at the UT Arboretum on South Illinois Avenue at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, November 2.

“We know that bats eat mosquitoes and help pollinate plants, but there is so much more to this mysterious creature,” the press release said.

The program will be at the UT Arboretum Auditorium, which is at 901 South Illinois Avenue. It will include a PowerPoint presentation, bat “show and tell” items, and children’s activities at the end, the press release said. Attendees will learn about bat myths and facts, the characteristics and types of bats in Tennessee, and why bats are one of our most invaluable species. [Read more…]

Bats: Friend or foe? Find out Sept. 4

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Bats are the topic of a free, interactive program on Thursday, September 4. Starting with a presentation at 7 p.m. and ending with a field demonstration with bat detectors, spotlights, and a thermal imaging camera by Melton Hill Lake, the evening will provide ample evidence that bats are friends, a press release said.

Although they sometimes suffer from a poor public image, bats are extremely beneficial animals: They are major predators of night-flying insects. Bat specialist Gerry Middleton, a biologist with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, is the presenter.

Following his 7 p.m. talk and a question and answer period, participants will adjourn to the marina on Melton Hill Lake for a field demonstration: Gerry will use his “bat detectors” (which detect echolocation calls) to help spot the nocturnal creatures as they forage for insects at dusk. He’ll also bring a spotlight and a thermal imaging camera to help participants see bats after dark. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum to have presentation on bats on Thursday

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Bat at UT Arboretum

Northern Long-eared Bat (Photos courtesy of Middleton Photos)

The University of Tennessee Arboretum will host a presentation on bats—“Let’s Go BAT-ty”—from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday.

Gerry Middleton, a biologist who has studied bats extensively, will present a slide show at the Visitor’s Center to discuss his two-year study of Arboretum bats. Using his “bat detector,” he will take the group outside to look for the nocturnal creatures.

A biologist with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in the U.S. Department of Energy-Oversight Office, Middleton promised that this will be an opportunity for all ages to learn more about the local bat population, a press release said. Middleton has an master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. [Read more…]