November Nights – Bats: Winged Wonders

image: Eastern Small Footed Bat, photo courtesy of Maureen Heidtmann.

This talk, presented by Maureen Heidtmann at the Hadlyme Public Hall, is an overview of bats of the world, with an emphasis on our local species. Maureen will cover the myths and misconceptions about these fascinating creatures, the many roles that bats play to ensure a healthy planet, the perils bats face in their struggle for survival, their amazing resilience, and what we can do to help.

Maureen is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who has worked with bats for over twenty years. She also holds a Master Wildlife Conservationist certificate, and a permit from USDA to keep non-releasable bats for educational purposes. In Connecticut, Maureen is one of only three rehabilitators approved by DEEP to care for bats. In 2016, she was the designated regional educator for Bat Conservation International, and she has done voluntary fieldwork for BCI, looking for endangered species bats with the goal of protecting their habitat.

Maureen was featured in a Connecticut Wildlife magazine article and in several newspapers for rescuing and raising a rare endangered species, the Eastern Small-Footed Bat (Myotis leibii), the first of its kind to be seen in Connecticut since 1940. She also raised two Northern long-eared bat pups (Myotis septentrionalis), the first discovered in Connecticut in more than twelve years.

Sunday, November 9, 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the Hadlyme Public Hall, 63 Ferry Rd. in Hadlyme
RSVP: education@lymelandtrust.org

Part of a series of events celebrating November Nights.