Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Bat Night 2008

Oracle State Park presents "Bat Night 2008" on Friday, July 11th. Find out about bats & the important role they play in nature. Meet guys from Arizona Game and Fish (AZGF) who will offer an educational program at the historic Kannally Ranch House & identify the bat species that are seen using the attic space above the living room.

At 7 pm they will arrive to assess the site & give recommendations to park staff on conserving the building in an environmental way with exclusion techniques that don't threaten the bat nursery season.

At 7:30 pm, their AZGF guests will set-up nets to prepare to capture mature bats flying around the ranch house, followed by a slide program inside at 8 pm to share their images & knowledge of bat ecology. At 8:45 pm the program returns outside to check the nets to identify the captured species & let the public view these flying mammals up close.

This is a family-friendly event; there is no fee to attend the evening interpretive program but due to space limitations a reservation is preferred. For more information or for reservations call Oracle State Park at (520) 896-2425.

Oracle State Park is a 4,000-acre wildlife refuge located in the northern foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains in the town of Oracle north of Tucson.