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Saving Bats.
Conserving Ecosystems.
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Adopt-a-bat
With the symbolic adoption of a fruit bat, you join Lubee's efforts to save bats. |  |
Each adoption is fully tax deductible. Adoption kits include a photo and certificate depicting your chosen bat AND a plush bat
Visit our web site Adopt-a-bat |
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Visit our Web site |  | |
Read about more conservation science projects.
Please forward this newsletter to friends and encourage people to add a link to our site from theirs! |
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September Bat Birthdays
Straw-colored fruit bat Mara - Sep 25, 1993
Variable flying fox
Buffett - Sep 21, 1992
Taz - Sep 13, 1993
Coral - Sep 2, 2005
Grey-headed flying fox
Larcombe - Sep 22, 1995 |
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| 8th Annual Florida Bat Festival |
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Bat Fest 2012!!!
Lubee Bat Conservancy welcomes everyone to our 8th Annual Florida Bat Festival on October 27th, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. This unique event will provide a rare opportunity for the general public and wildlife lovers to visit a working research and conservation center to see some of the largest species of bat face-to-face. This is the only day of the year when the center is open to the public, and is expected to draw over 5,000 people from Gainesville and beyond.
The festival will be held on the beautiful grounds of the conservancy, a 110-acre ranch, located at 1309 N.W. 192nd Avenue in Gainesville, FL. This free festival offers exciting opportunities for the whole family. Whether you are viewing live fruit bats, sitting in on an education presentation, or visiting a vendor's booth, the festival offers relaxation and recreation. Each year this event features free activities, including bat-themed crafts and games for kids, educational exhibits, presentations by bat experts, and the unique opportunity to see live fruit bats with 5 ft wingspans on exhibit in our Bat Zone. Local vendors will be spread across the beautiful grounds of the conservancy selling food and beverages, providing local environmental educational information, and selling batty merchandise. An entire new section of property will be opened up featuring Bouncy huts provided by SpaceWalk of Gainesville. This extra space will allow visitors more room at the event while expanded space for children to play. Food will be provided by David's Real Pit BBQ, High Springs Orchard & Bakery, and Tropical Sno.
Proceeds from the festival will be used to fund education and awareness programs for schools, libraries, scouting troops, and wildlife and conservation groups to promote awareness about the benefits bats provide. For more information please visit http://www.batconservancy.org/florida-annual-bat-festival.php |
Year of the Bat Celebration
Sept. 7, 6 - 8 p.m.
The Year of the Bat is happening now! Join Lubee, the Florida Museum of Natural History, and FL Bat Conservancy/Tampa Bay Bats for an evening dedicated to bats. The festivities will begin at the Museum with bat displays, interactive activities, and live native FL Bats. The event will then move over to the UF Bat House & Bat Barn where spectators will watch the emergence of 250,000 bats as they begin their evening emergence in search of tons of insects. For more information call 352-273-2064, or click this link: Year of the Bat Celebration
11th Annual Great Lakes Bat Festival
On September 29th the Organization for Bat Conservation will be hosting its 11th Annual Great Lakes Bat Festival held at the Southfield Pavilion (25 minutes from Cranbrook Institute of Science). The goal of the bat festival is to spread the message that bats are critical to ecosystems around the world and to encourage their protection. This year's festival is also a part of the international Year of the Bat celebration series. The United Nations Environment Programme declared 2012 the Year of the Bat around the world to promote awareness of bats and their habitats. For more information please visit
http://www.batconservation.org/drupal/bat-festival
BatsLIVE Bracken Cave Broadcast
On Tuesday, September 18, 2012, Prince William Network, the USDA Forest Service, Bat Conservation International and a host of other partners will be webcasting LIVE from Bracken Bat Cave near San Antonio, Texas. This is the summer home of the world's largest bat colony. With millions of Mexican free-tailed bats living in the cave from March through October, Bracken holds one of the largest concentrations of mammals on earth. The emergence every evening of these millions of bats, as they spiral out of the cave at dusk for their nightly insect hunt, is an unforgettable sight.
Would you like to join in on Tuesday, September 18 by organizing an event that educates others about bats? You will be able to access this FREE live webcast that will include information about the special features of bats, myths and misconceptions, the devastating effects of and current research on White-nose Syndrome,how to help bats, and more. Chief Tidwell and R8 Endangered Species Specialist Dennis Krusac will be featured on the webcast along with FWS and BCI bat biologists. This will be an interactive event, so you will be able to e-mail questions to scientists and researchers and/or participate in a discussion board.
You can learn about about this event by checking out the BatsLIVE flyer, Tips for a successful BatsLIVE Webcast, and Selected Activities and Resources for the Bracken Cave Webcast.
BatsLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure is being brought to you by the following partners: USDA Forest Service, Prince William Network, Partners in Resource Education, Lubee Bat Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bat Conservation International, National Environmental Education Foundation, Bureau of Land Management, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Organization for Bat Conservation, National Park Service, National Wildlife Federation, Project Underground, UN Year of the Bat, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Project Underground, Midwest and Western Bat Working Groups, Wildlife Conservation and Education Center, and Eurobats. |
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Update on the project: Fruit Bats as Bushmeat in the Solomon Islands
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Tammy and workshop participants |
In July we received updates from Tammy Davies, recipient of the Luis F. Bacardi Fruit Bat Conservation grant, on her work in Makira Island.
Tammy held a cross-community workshop that welcomed over 60 participants, much higher than anticipated. Participants were eager to get involved by acting out the ecological role of flying foxes and dispersing seeds to enable new tree growth.
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Tammy & research assistants |
The workshop, which also covered endemic species, revealed that most people were unaware and surprised to learn that the Makira flying fox (P.cognatus) is endemic to Makira.
Tammy's work will also focus on quantifying rates of fruit bat harvest to assess sustainability of current hunting practices, and providing baseline data on flying fox natural history.
Rodrigues Environmental Educator Project
 Lubee Bat Conservancy is proud to announce that we will be annual contributors to the Rodrigues Environmental Education Project (REEP). REEP provides complete financial support of an environmental educator on Rodrigues Island, home to the endangered Rod. REEP's goals are to provide Rodriguans with opportunities to acquire knowledge, skills, values, and commitment needed to protect and improve the environment. These goals are accomplished by working with community organizations, government departments, schools, and the media. Since its inception in 1998, REEP has accomplished a number of significant achievements including a
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Educational kits given to students |
curriculum developed in collaboration with the Rodriguan education authority that highlights Rodrigues' unique environmental heritage and challenges, community-action projects including culturally important endemic plant propagation, government and NGO collaborative events such as Environment Week, and regular radio broadcasts on environmental topics. The Environmental Educator also organizes volunteers from schools and the community to participate in regular bat counts to have a more hands-on personal experience. Estimates in March 2012 were approximately 10,000-11,000 bats. An astonishing number considering only 75 remained in the 1970's!!!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
You can make a difference by donating to our ongoing conservation efforts. We cannot fulfill our commitment to the preservation of fruit bats and their habitats without your continued support. Please consider making a one-time or annual donation, ensuring the survival of threatened species for future generations. |
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BABY BAT!!!
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Zeke's first checkup |
We are happy to announce that Zeke, an Island flying fox (P. hypomelanus) was born June 27, 2012. His mother is Zoe, father Raisinear. He has been doing extremely well and had his first checkup in mid-August. Zeke is starting to venture away from mom (not too much though) and will soon start interacting with his colony.
During the months of September-December we anticipate placement of 3 breeding group and would be delighted to have a successful birthing season with numerous pups by spring/summer of 2013. Watch for more updates to come!
Improvements around property
Landscaping
 Lubee property has had an abundance of color this year thanks to the efforts of Ann Hudson with the The Alachua County Master Gardeners (ACMG) and Mike Volk. Ann and her team spent the summer designing and landscaping areas in front of the office and bat enclosures. All plants were  Florida native or FL friendly. We have witnessed an astonishing increase in the number of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds thanks to the efforts of Ann, Mike, and ACMG!!!
Barn painting
 In July the large barn in the center of property was painted courtesy of Natural Elements painting in Gainesville, FL.
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Bats in Slovenia
Matej Vranic - Lesser horseshoe bats
http://vimeo.com/32937371
Bats In Italy
Italian website - www.pipistrellus.it and link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv7kZPQNgM4
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Bat Conservation organizations unite for Year of the Bat
To celebrate the environmental impact of bats and encourage more international cooperation on bat conservation, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and EUROBATS have designated 2011-2012 the Year of the Bat. The Year of the Bat aims to raise awareness of these often misunderstood animals and their diverse biodiversity benefits. Lubee Bat Conservancy is proud to be a partner in the Year of the Bat initiative, and we will be working to highlight the conservation plight of fruit bats across the globe with many exciting new conservation and education awareness initiatives. Please visit the Year of the Bat website to read more as plans and events develop. |
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Dear Friends,
We are committed to bringing you up to date information relating to flying fox conservation, bat news from around the world, and the latest happenings at our wonderful bat center. Making the connection to our friends and members is of the utmost importance and we will strive to make this commitment a reality in 2012. Feel free to contact us or check out our website for further information www.lubee.org.
Lubee is successful because of its dedicated team of staff, interns and volunteers, and also because of you, the people and organizations who make our work possible. I'd like to extend my personal thanks to each and every one of you for your interest and commitment to the conservation and education work of Lubee Bat Conservancy. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
Brian G. Pope
Director
Lubee Bat Conservancy |
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