It's easy to see why bats and spiders hold sway over spooky Halloween events. Included in both species are some pretty scary looking specimens! At the same time, this is what makes Halloween such a teaching moment for those who wish to educate kids about nature. This video was created to illustrate my song Bats, bats, bats. While the creator did not ask my permission, I, like many others, have enjoyed the fun bat images she used.
Photo: Little Brown Bat: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The Little Brown Bat is a good bat to first introduce kids to. They're quite cute as bats go and are fairly common and easy to see in North America (check out common bats in your country). Sadly, in recent years their populations have been greatly reduced due to the onset of 'white-nose syndrome', a devastating disease that specifically impacts these small mammals.
Photo: Little Brown Bat: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
My previous blog post was about 'interconnectedness'. Bats are a wonderful species to use an an example of interconnectivity in nature. Bats eat enormous amounts of insects, including many pests that impact farm crops. Without bats, farmers would be forced to pay a lot of money to protect their plants. Bats are part of what we call Natural Capital - they provide a critical service for free!
So this Halloween, invite your kids to write a story, a play or a song to celebrate bats. Teach them how amazing these nocturnal creatures are. Find out what you can do to protect them.
Here are a few links to get you started:
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