October - Bat Conservation International

EndlessTwilight · **Posted:** Fri Oct 10, 2008 8:16 am

With Halloween and vampires on the way, my thoughts turned to our little, bloodsucking critter-friends... bats.

I know it's a total vampire cliche, but hey, they're cute as well as spooky and oh-so-interesting, so it totally works here. And just like the Cullens, bats are the good guys and often misunderstood.

Just take it from Virginia Calder. Bats inspired her to write a poem entitled, "Bats (The Good Guys)"

On a warm summer night, from towns east to west,
The mosquitoes will bite without stopping to rest.
But at twilight the bats are out ready to eat
Those annoying mosquitoes before they retreat...

...There’s never a danger when bats are in flight.
It’s bugs, not people they attack in the night.
The farmer is pleased because bats are his pride.
They prove much better than a pesticide.

Mosquitoes...mountain lions...grizzlies....it's all the same.

October's Charity of the Month is Bat Conservation International (BCI; batcon.org).

"BCI's mission is to teach people the value of bats, to protect and conserve critical bat habitats, and to advance scientific knowledge through research. All this while using a win-win beneficial solution that will benefit both bats and people." -BCI

Our bat friends need our help!

Bats are essential to our environment because they help rid it of harmful, pesky insects. We need them to maintain this essential ecological balance.

There is also a great threat to bats on America's east coast known as White Nose Syndrome. The cause it still unknown, but it has wiped out at least 90 percent of affected populations and whole species may be at risk. Research and dollars are greatly needed to stop the spread of this disease.

I've always been a huge fan of the bat. What's not to love about these little, furry, white poofballs?

BCI's website, www.batcon.org is a plethora of information. Everything you ever wanted to know about bats....

You can learn more about bat conservation with bat houses HERE.

They have beautiful desktop wallpapers HERE and hundreds of pictures of all the different species HERE.

Wallpaper

Kids can have fun while learning more about bats in the Kidz Cave HERE.

Read more bat-inspired poetry like the one above HERE.

Or even adopt a bat HERE.

You can help support BCI buy donating via credit card at https://www.batcon.org/forms/dona.asp or by purchasing bat products from BatCatalog.com. They have some super cool items to make you go batty

:

Children's Tee

Doormat perfect for Halloween

Bat Coaster Set

You can even learn more about Zuri, a famous Flying Fox that has appeared on both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well as The David Letterman Show here.

So save a bat this October, swoon over those other bloodsuckers in the new Twilight trailer and have a happy haunting!

Esme's Protegee · **Posted:** Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:29 am

This is great! There are many misunderstood creatures out there. It is great to have the facts and a little insight.

momoffive5 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:18 pm

My son loves bats and for his birthday one of the things he got was a membership to Bat Conservation International- They are very informative and they have many nifty bat-related items- Thanks to TwilightMoms for highlighting them and making them the charity of the month!

-Karen in Maryland

Katieb · **Posted:** Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:31 pm

I love this idea! I think the fruit bats are cute and my son would love that bat shirt.

Bluestem · **Posted:** Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:02 pm

THANK YOU MOMS for choosing BCI!

These intelligent and integral animals are so very important. Yet, they get no respect, get treated as pests and enemies, and are persecuted through mass killings and exterminations.

Without them, we would not have pollination, insect control, harvestable fertilizer and bio energy sources, or predictor's of weather and climate change.

The work of BCI and its founding zoologist Merlin Tuttle is decades old and has happily picked up hundreds of contributors and supporters. His photographic work, along with behavioral trials, of various species of bats has really contributed to a better worldwide understanding of how reliant we are on these furballs.

bringtherain · **Posted:** Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:03 am

(Sigh!) You are a girl after my own heart! I've always had an affinity for bats, this is very cool. Thanks for all of the interesting tidbits, too...very informative- I will be checking out their site.

Linbody · **Posted:** Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:59 am

Stellaluna (by Janell Cannon) is one of my favorites of my daughter's books.
These amazing little creatures just fascinate me.

Joanne Maria · **Posted:** Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:52 pm

I am so happy to see this here. Animals, especially ones such as bats sometimes get a bad rep. I checked out the Kids link, it's great. i will use this in school this week.

I like the kids tee...maybe I could squeeze into one

bellasmom30 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 11, 2008 6:29 pm

My daughter loves to learn about bats. She thinks they are cool. I like them too. So I may be getting one of those tees for Bella.

EndlessTwilight · **Posted:** Sun Oct 12, 2008 12:23 am

I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this month's charity.

JM - That t-shirt - I know! I was wondering if it comes in adult sizes. LOL!

Joanne Maria · **Posted:** Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:54 am

There is an adult t-shirt and I like the luggage tags.

Emilina · **Posted:** Sun Oct 12, 2008 4:10 pm

This is an awesome choice for the charity of the month!

I will be making my donation today!

*gypsy wings* · **Posted:** Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:10 am

What a wonderful charity!

I love this idea, I can't wait to share some of the info with my kids

They love learning about different animals.

IsabellaCullen · **Posted:** Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:59 am

Very cool information and we also loved StellaLuna when my daughter was that young, but I'll tell ya -- having one of these things flying around your head in your house making that noise they make?? {{{SHUDDER}}} I still get the heebie jeebies thinking about it. (I had one get into my house just a few months ago - scared the living daylights out of my daughter and I.)

October - Bat Conservation International

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