UW’s Biodiversity Institute Adds Three More Summer Bat Walks Around Wyoming

Before the summer started, the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute scheduled seven free Summer Bat Walks. Now, they have added three more.

"Thanks to the efforts of our wonderful Wyoming naturalists, three more Bat Walks will be offered this summer," says Mason Lee, senior project coordinator of the Biodiversity Institute. "These will include the first Bat Walks in both Gillette and Dayton, and a second Bat Walk this summer in Pinedale. I hope many people in these communities go out to experience our awesome nocturnal wildlife with these superstar Wyoming naturalists."

Locations, dates and times of the additional Bat Walks are as follows:

Gillette -- McManamen Park, Thursday, July 23, 8:30-10 p.m.

Dayton -- Scott Bicentennial Park, Saturday, July 25, 8:30-10 p.m.

Pinedale -- CCC Ponds, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 8-9:30 p.m.

Previously scheduled Bat Walks left on the summer schedule are:

Sheridan -- South Park open space, Tuesday, July 21, 8:30-10 p.m. This has been the location for previous Bat Walks in Sheridan.

Laramie -- Curt Gowdy State Park, Wednesday, July 29, 8:30-10 p.m.

Casper -- Wyoming Game and Fish Department lower parking lot, Friday, Aug. 14, 8-9:30 p.m.

Bats are invaluable to Wyoming and to ecosystems around the world. All bats in Wyoming -- of which there are 18 species -- are insectivores, and they eat a lot of crop pests. It is estimated that, in the U.S., bats save farmers more than $3.7 billion each year in pest control, Lee says. Insectivorous bats help protect crops, including corn, cotton, potatoes and wheat.

During a Bat Walk, participants will take a slow stroll through a local park and learn about the bat species present in the area. Those leading the walks will use an acoustic device, known as an Echo Meter Touch, to detect the bat species that are calling nearby.

Most bats echolocate at a frequency that is too high for human ears. But the Echo Meter Touch "translates" their calls to a lower frequency that can be heard by people. For a recording of bats during a previous Bat Walk, go to https://vimeo.com/717518476.

The Bat Walks are capped at 20 participants each. To register for a Summer Bat Walk, go to https://wyomingbiodiversity.org/index.php/outreach/bat-walks.

Local organizations that would like to host Bat Walks in their community this summer can email [email protected].

About the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute

The UW Biodiversity Institute fosters conservation of biodiversity through scientific discovery, creative dissemination, education and public engagement. In this setting, scientists, citizens, students and educators come together to share a wealth of perspectives on the study and appreciation of biodiversity -- from microbes to poetry and ecosystems to economics. Learn more at https://www.wyomingbiodiversity.org.