NEWBURYPORT — While American folklore often give bats a bad rap, many cultures consider bats a symbol of luck and longevity.
Bats are the world's only flying mammals, range in size from 6 inches to 6 feet, and are the only mammals besides primates to see in color. Bats provide many beneficial services to the human community, including keeping down the insect population and pollinating many crops.
Join David Yates on Oct. 22 and learn more about basic bat biology and conservation issues that bats face today. He will also talk about bats of the Northeast, their habitats and present findings from recent mist nettinging efforts at Parker River and Great Bay National Wildlife Refuges.
Yates is a research biologist with Biodiversity Research Institute, where he is the director of the Mammal Program. He is actively involved with various field studies focusing on wildlife conservation and management and the health assessment of aquatic ecosystems through contaminant screening. He is currently researching bats as an indicator species for mercury exposure, as well as conducting live-capture, tracking and sampling studies on mink, otter, beaver and muskrat, and other small and large mammals.
This event will be held from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Refuge Headquarters and Visitor Center, 6 Plum Island Turnpike. This event is free and open to the public. Call 978-465-5753 for more information.
The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was established in 1942 to provide habitat for and protect migratory birds and other wildlife species. Today the refuge protects fragile coastal habitat for more than 350 bird species, as well as several plants, mammals, fish, insects, reptiles and amphibians.
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