Bat education takes wing in Central Oregon

Bat conservation just got a big lift. The Forest Service will now host the award winning “Project EduBat: Education Taking Flight!“—a traveling education trunk designed to teach people of all ages about bat ecology, conservation and white-nose syndrome.

The resources in the trunk are meant to encourage better understanding and appreciation of the important role of bats in ecosystems. Instructors will find several activities for students as well as books on bat identification, bat skeletons, educational DVDs and arts and crafts project ideas. The activities within the trunk also meet Common Core and Next Generation Science standards.

This trunk can be checked out for up to a week at a time for free, although educators or individuals checking out the box are responsible for paying the shipping cost for the bat trunk.

This Project EduBat Trunk was provided by BatsLive: A Distance Learning Adventure, and sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and U.S. Geological Survey. Project EduBat also won a Wings Across the Americas award for bat conservation at the North American Fish and Wildlife Conference in March 2015. For more information, visit: http://batslive.pwnet.org/edubat/

For detailed information on items into the trunk or general questions, contact Julie York, Wildlife Biologist, at 541-549-7709 or email: EduBatTrunkDeschutes@fs.fed.org .