BatFest: An Evening with Bats

A colony of little brown bats was first discovered at the Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda. More than 200 baby bats and moms had established a nursery colony in the rafters of a picnic shelter. While the little brown bats live in hollow trees, these bats discovered that the shelter was warm, dry and safe from predators like raccoons, cats and hawks.

The Lake County Forest Preserves saved the bat shelter and now is using it as an example to teach public about a misrepresented species.

BatFest is scheduled for Saturday, July 14 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Lakewood, located on Route 176 just west of Fairfield Road in Wauconda. Follow the posted signs to Shelter E.

See bats take flight at sunset and learn how the lair began. The grand finale of the event will be watching bats leave the lair as they head out for their nightly food hunt. Illinois Natural History Survey ecologists will harmlessly net a few bats as they leave their shelter. The activity will be projected on a large projector screen so everyone can get an up-close look.

Bat learning stations will be offered, including a live bat presentation from Incredible Bats, a bat box building demonstration, acoustic bat monitoring and tips to remove bats from inside a house. Also enjoy crafts for kids and face painting.

Costumes are encouraged as kids and adults can show off their best hand-wings and backwards feet.

The event is presented in conjunction with the Year of the Bat global awareness campaign dedicated to teaching the valuable contribution bats make to the environment through pollination, seed dispersal, insect control and more.

Cost for the program is $5 adult/$3 child or $7 adult/$4 child for nonresidents. No registration required.