Halloween.... A Teaching Moment!

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:

Myths about bats

Bat ecology

National Park Service & Bats

Bats, bats, bats

Yay, the evenings are getting lighter and the weather warmer, allowing us to wander outside later and later. More time for the kids to play outdoors, to mosey on over to the park, explore the woods, run out in the fields! Of course the warmer weather brings out the critters.  There are dragonflies, bees, butterflies and of course the ubiquitous mosquito!

And then there are bats! Somewhere along the way bats seem to have garnered a bit of a nasty reputation, they became the go-to creature for Halloween and other creepy- themed events or films. However, in reality the little bat (or big bat depending on where you are living!) is a masterful night hunter that helps to control insect populations, and fruit bats are invaluable as seed dispersers, helping to preserve healthy forest ecosystems. Here’s the Bat Song to get you dancing!



Introducing kids to bats, and highlighting the many benefits they bring both to our urban and agricultural communities helps to dispel the “creepy” factor and usher in respect and curiosity. Visit Bracken Cave, summer home to the world’s largest bat colony. Unfortunately many North American bat species are succumbing to White-nose syndrome, which affects hibernating bats. Building or buying a bat house to put up in your yard will help attract bats into your neighborhood and allow you to observe them safely with your kids.
The Little Earth Charter Principal Number One is Life, another fun way to explore the multiple facets of life with your kids! Bats101 has some good lesson plans and ideas for bat projects. So, enjoy the summer evenings and see how many bats you can identify!