Every day is a great day to celebrate the wonderful role bats play in our ecosystem, controlling insect pests, pollinating, and dispersing fruit!
However 2012 is the International Year of the Bat, so this year Evansville's Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden invites you to celebrate bats with us. Kick off at the zoo is National Bat Awareness & Appreciation Week April 9-15th, but the fun doesn't stop there!

Lectures

April 17 - White Nose Syndrome, Windpower, Caves & Bats… Oh, My!

Interested in learning more about our native bats and the threats facing them? Dr. Diana Barber, bat biologist, will give a presenation for the Audobon Society at 7 pm at the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve.

Visit the Zoo!

Special displays highlighting the importance of bats and the bats in our collection will be out on zoo grounds. Come celebrate with us!

Special Family Programs

To sign up for one or all programs for younger children (aged 3 -5) click here. Programs are from 9:30 - 10:00 am and unless otherwise noted will be held in the Discovery Center.

To sign up for one or all programs for older children (aged 6 -12) click here. Programs are from 10:30 - 11:30 am and unless otherwise noted will be held in the Discovery Center.

April 14 - Wake Up, Sleepy Heads!

Winter in North America is too cold for bats or their insect prey. They must either fly south or find a place to sleep. Explore the amazing ways bats cope with cold and welcome them back to our night skies.

May 5 - Bats In Your Backyard!

Bats are critically important predators of night-flying insects. Learn how to make your backyard the perfect habitat for Indiana's native bats and let the bug feast begin!

August 25 - Drink up, Nectar Lovers!

Bats are important pollinators in the Amazon rainforest and the desert Southwest of the United States. Explore how plants attract bats to spread their pollen and what makes a flower lovely to a bat. This program will be held in the Amazonia Research Station.

September 22 - Bats In Your Pantry!

Explore how bats and the roles they play directly impact your table. Love to eat? Thank a bat! Bats benefit fruits and vegetables from apples to zucchini and without them pests of important crops like corn would have no natural enemies.

Interested in more information about bats or Year of the Bat celebrations around the world? Please visit our bat conservation partner Bat Conservation International or the Year of the Bat website.