The library is so pleased to be the recipient of a new bat house, donated by the O'Dell/ Christman family. When the family won a cash prize at the Cornwall Public  Library Foundation's Chalk Art Contest this past summer, 8-year old Leah Christman decided that the family should use the money to build a bat house and donate it to the library. She attended a program on bats at the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, and became interested in the benefits of bat houses. Leah learned that bats can consume up to 1200 mosquitoes in one hour and mosquitoes learn to stay away if they know bats are in the area. A bat house also provides protection for the bats' offspring, which will help with the declining population of bats. Bat droppings, known as guano, are a highly nutrient rich fertilizer that can be used in the library's garden.

 

The house can hold up to 100 bats, and even has a Cornwall green dragon painted on the side! John Kramer, a local builder, will be donating his time to install the bat house, which will be placed on an unused telephone pole located towards the southeast corner of the library property. The library would like to thank the Christman family for their generous donation, and thank Leah, especially, for making an educational commitment to the community.