bats in our backyard: meet minnesota’s marvelous...

Bats in Our Backyard: Meet Minnesota’s Marvelous Mini Mammals TEACHER

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PREFACE This teacher activity guide and its accompanying student activity book were developed to address current conservation issues regarding Minnesota’s bats. These activities are appropriate for grades K-5 and can stand alone or be used in conjunction with the student book. Most of the activities align with Minnesota Academic Standards in Science, which are summarized for each topic. The activities focus on bat myths and facts, species identification, morphology, ecology, behavior, and conservation. The educational goals of these activities are to think critically about information to form opinions, distinguish the unique aspects of species, understand the relationship between animals, humans and the environment, realize the importance of conservation, and encourage personal involvement in conservation initiatives.

DEVELOPMENT Victoria Shaw Chraïbi Fulbright Canada – RBC Eco-Leader 2011-2012 Sarah Wilcox Education Department, Lake Superior Zoological Society Dr. Ron Moen, Ph.D. Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth

James Eggers Bat Conservation International

PHOTO CREDITS Images of Minnesota bats and cover photo: © Merlin D. Tuttle, used with authorized permission of Bat Conservation International

Images of Webber: © Lizzy Johnson, used with authorized permission of Lake Superior Zoological Society

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Visit our bat website: www.nrri.umn.edu/bats

Lake Superior Zoo: LSZoo.org, email: [email protected]

Bat Conservation International: batcon.org

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: dnr.state.mn.us

http://www.nrri.umn.edu/bats


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Topics & Activities Standards Pages 1. Myths and Rumors Topic: myths and facts about bats Activities: discussion, telephone game, connect-the-dots

0.4.1.1.1 1.1.1.1.2 1.4.1.1.1 3.4.1.1.2

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2. Meet the Stars Topic: identification of the seven Minnesota species Activities: photographs, red carpet, Cheerio bat models

0.4.1.1.1 1.1.1.1.2 1.4.1.1.1 3.4.1.1.2

8-11

3. Bat Body Topic: morphology and adaptations Activities: labeling skeleton, drawing, dress up

0.4.1.1.2 1.4.1.1.1 3.4.1.1.1 5.4.1.1.1

12-16

4. Echolocation Topic: navigation and senses Activities: role play, maze

3.4.1.1.1 5.4.1.1.1

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5. A Year as a Bat Topic: migration and hibernation Activities: role play, math

1.4.2.1.1 1.4.2.1.2

20-24

6. Bat Benefits Topic: pollination, seed dispersal, pest control Activities: word search, story writing

1.1.3.1.1 5.4.2.1.2

25-27

7. Are You a Good Neighbor? Topic: living with bats Activity: quiz

5.4.4.1.1 28-31

8. White-nose Syndrome Topic: recognizing and preventing White-nose Syndrome Activity: computer research project

2.1.2.2.1 32-33

9. Be Bats’ Best Friend Topic: involvement in conservation Activities: project ideas, write legislators

2.1.2.2.1 5.4.4.1.1

34-35

10. Final Assessment Topic: final assessment Activity: crossword puzzle

36-38


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INTRODUCTION

Hello! My name is Webber. I’m an African straw-colored fruit bat. My family is from Africa, but I was born at the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth, Minnesota. Because Minnesota is very different from Africa, it’s important that I always live in the zoo. Here at the Lake Superior Zoo, I help teach the importance of bat conservation. “Conservation” means the protection of animals, plants, and nature so that they don’t disappear. It’s important for people to learn more about bats and help their conservation. In Minnesota, there are seven bat species that are relatives of mine. In this book, we will have a lot of fun as I introduce you to the bats in your neighborhood. We will learn cool facts about bats and why they are important to Minnesota and the world!

Webber P.S. I would love to meet you in person! Ask your teacher to contact the Zoo Education Department ([email protected]) to arrange for me to come to your classroom. Or, come visit me at my home at the Lake Superior Zoo! For Teachers: Straw-colored fruit bats are bats that are common in Africa and Madagascar. They live in rainforests, savannas, and cities. They prefer to live in tall trees. Their population is large but is showing a decreasing trend so they are currently listed as “near threatened” as their conservation status. They live and travel in large colonies of 100,000 to 1 million bats. They find food by sight and smell (not echolocation) and eat fruit, nectar, flowers, and bark. They are important pollinators and seed dispersers for African plants and commercial plantations. At the zoo, Webber sucks the juice out of fruits like apples and eats green produce like kale.

Let’s take off!


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1. MYTHS AND RUMORS Summary: Students will recognize the importance of making sure information is true before developing an opinion by identifying popular myths of bats and replacing them with true facts through discussion, a game, and connect-the-dots. Objectives:

1. Students will catalog their current ideas of bats. 2. Students will learn how untrue facts about animals began by rumors and historic

attempts to explain the unknown. 3. Students will identify popular false ideas of bats and replace them with true

facts. 4. Students will recognize the importance of making sure that information is true

about an animal, or anything in general, before developing an opinion. 5. Students will appreciate bats for their true characteristics and recognize them as

an important part of Minnesota that needs protection. Key Terms: fact, myth Minnesota Science Standards: 0.4.1.1.1 Observe and compare plants and animals. 1.1.1.1.2 Recognize that describing things as accurately as possible is important in science because it enables people to compare their observations with those of others. 1.4.1.1.1 Describe and sort animals into groups in many ways, according to their physical characteristics and behaviors. 3.4.1.1.2 Identify common groups of plants and animals using observable physical characteristics, structures and behaviors. Duration: 30-45 minutes Materials: Board and chalk/marker Copies of ‘Connect-the-Dots’ activity on page 7 Appendix A. PowerPoint, slide 3 Background: Human concepts of bats are made up mainly of myths. Even though science is providing a better understanding of bats, it is difficult to replace old myths with real facts. Many myths support fear and hatred of bats, which is detrimental to their conservation. Understanding the truth about bats leads to respecting and valuing bats as an important animal in our world.

Learn the truth about bats and we can be great neighbors!


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Procedure: 1.) Students sit in a circle facing the board.

a. Ask the students what they think of when they think of bats. Likely answers will be “Halloween, vampires, scary, blind, etc.”

b. Record the answers in lists or as an idea web on the board. 2.) Discuss myths that people have created about animals. Many myths began because

of fear of the unknown; bats come out at night and many people don’t like the dark; because we associate the dark with bad things, we assume things that like the dark must be bad. It is sort of like starting rumors. Often bat rumors tell you to fear and hate bats. Once a rumor is started, it is very hard to correct.

3.) Misunderstanding animals may also come from attempts to explain animal behavior a long time ago, before science really began to study them. This is why it is important for science to describe things in nature as accurately and clearly as possible to avoid misunderstandings.

a. An idea can also be changed as it is passed from person to person or down through generations. Illustrate this concept by playing the “Telephone Game,” in which students pass a whispered message around the circle. The teacher begins the message by saying “Bats fly in the dark and eat bugs” or something similar, and see what message comes out the other end. Is it still the same?

b. Students do the connect-the-dots activity to see and discuss the different ways bats are portrayed.

4.) Now that students understand how myths about bats may have begun, it is time to correct the myths with facts.

a. Go through the myths on page 6 and discuss the actual facts. As you discuss, cross out the untrue myths on the board, and circle the true facts that students offered earlier.

b. At the end, how many items on the board were true and how many were false?

c. Discuss why it is important to know the true facts about bats for their conservation and protection. People are more likely to protect an animal they believe is important and that they appreciate (e.g. pandas are cute, sea otters are ecologically important).

Assessment: 1.) What is a myth? An incorrect belief about something that many people believe is true. 2.) What is a fact? An idea that is supported as true with scientific evidence. 3.) What are some myths about bats? Bats are blind, dirty, all carry rabies, are vampires, attack people, and are mice/rodents/vermin. 4.) What are some facts about bats? Bats are not blind, they do not all carry rabies, most are not vampires, they do not attack people, and they are not related to mice. 5.) How can myths about bats be exchanged for facts? Tell people, share information.


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1.1 Myths and Facts Bats are blind. Bats are NOT blind. Bats can see just like most other animals. Bats are vampires. Often you see bats as Halloween decorations, and in movies vampires can turn into bats. Of over 1,000 species of bat, only three bite large animals for blood, sort of like mosquitoes. Minnesota bats eat insects. Most bats eat fruit, leaves, nectar and bark. Bats fly into people’s hair. Bats do not fly into people’s hair. Bats are good flyers because of echolocation. They zig-zag while they fly to hunt insects, so it might look like they’ll run into you. But they have no trouble avoiding large objects in their way, including people. Bats are dirty and carry rabies. Bats are clean; they groom themselves like cats. Bats can become sick with rabies like any other mammal. Bats die quickly from the disease, so they often do not bite other animals and make them sick too. Even so, you should never touch a sick, injured or dead bat. Leave healthy bats alone, too, so they do not get scared and try to defend themselves by biting. If you do not bother a bat, it will not bother you. Bats are mice. Bats are sometimes called “flying mice,” but they are not rodents like mice and rats. Genetically, humans are more closely related to rodents than bats are! Bats belong in their own group of mammals called “Chiroptera,” which means “hand wing.”


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1.2 Myth or Fact Connect-the-Dots The facts you know about an animal helps you decide if you should like and protect the animal or hate and fear it. People believe several untrue ideas about bats that make it difficult to like and understand them. Connect the dots below to see the way rumors make a bat look to people, and how the facts make a bat look to people.

Rumor Bat: Bats are vampires that have rabies, are dirty and covered with parasites, and attack people by flying into their hair.

Real Bat: Bats eat insects or fruit, are clean because they groom themselves like cats, are rarely sick with rabies, and do not dislike nor wish to hurt people.


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2. MEET THE STARS! Summary: Students identify the seven species of bats native to Minnesota and develop an appreciation of biodiversity through role play and models. Objectives:

1. Students will recognize seven different species in the Minnesota bat community. 2. Students will identify similarities and differences between bat species.

Key Terms: biodiversity, species Minnesota Science Standards: 0.4.1.1.1 Observe and compare plants and animals. 1.1.1.1.2 Recognize that describing things as accurately as possible is important in science because it enables people to compare their observations with those of others. 1.4.1.1.1 Describe and sort animals into groups in many ways, according to their physical characteristics and behaviors. 3.4.1.1.2 Identify common groups of plants and animals using observable physical characteristics, structures and behaviors. Duration: 30-45 minutes Materials: Appendix A: PowerPoint, slides 4-11 Area in room with walkway Copies of ‘Meet the Stars’ bats on pages 10-11 Optional: copies of Appendix B, Cheerios, glue Background: There are more than 1,250 species of bats; 47 species live in the USA. There are seven species of bats native to Minnesota. They are all insectivores (eat insects) and they all rely on echolocation to navigate. They are small bats (wingspans under 16 inches). They live in caves, trees, buildings, and underneath bridges. They vary in size; the smallest is the tri-colored and the largest is the hoary bat. The big brown bat and little brown bat stay in Minnesota all year and are usually the ones found in homes trying to hibernate. The other five bat species migrate south to spend the winter. Procedure: 1.) Introduce Minnesota’s bats using the PowerPoint to show color pictures. Have students point out distinguishing characteristics of each bat (color, ear, nose, etc.) 2.) Split students into seven groups. Give each group one of the “Meet the Stars” bats, cut out from pages 10-11. Within each group, tell each student to choose a few different interesting facts to remember about their bat.


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3.) Have a red carpet/celebrity walk. Each student presents themselves as a bat and shares their interesting fact. (Example: “I am a hoary bat. My name means ‘grey hair.’”) 4.) Discuss why bats should be considered “stars” in the Minnesota ecosystem. (Possible answers are biodiversity, eat insects, etc.) 5.) Optional Cheerios Bat Models: Minnesota bats are relatively small and it can be interesting to show students their range in size. Print and cut out the bat outlines provided in Appendix B. Have students measure out and glue the designated number of Cheerios to the species of bat they were assigned in Step 2. Students can see how small and light-weight bats are, and the differences in size among species. Assessment: 1.) How are bats different from other mammals? They fly and use echolocation. 2.) How are bats similar to each other? They have fur, eat insects, are small, have small eyes, have big ears, etc. 3.) How are Minnesota bats different from each other? Color, size, migration, habitat, life span, etc. 4.) What is biodiversity? The variety of life on the planet.

Did you know there are more

than 1,250 species of bats in the

world? 47 species live in the USA.


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2.1 Meet the Stars! Minnesota is home to seven species of bats.

Big Brown Bat

I have light to dark brown fur. I am 3.4-5.4 inches long with a wingspan of 13-16 inches. I weigh 0.4-0.8 oz. I like to stay in Minnesota for winter, and sometimes hibernate in buildings when I cannot find a better place. I am Minnesota’s most common bat!

Little Brown Bat I have glossy pale tan or brown fur, with extra long hair on my toes. I am 2.5-4 inches long with a wingspan of 9-11 inches. I weigh 0.2-0.5 oz. I like to stay home in Minnesota and hibernate in winter. I can live over 30 years!

Hoary Bat

I have dark fur with silver tips (‘hoary’ means ‘grey hair’). I have short, round ears and a furry tail. I am 5.1-5.9 inches long with a wingspan of 13-16 inches. I weigh 0.7-1.2 oz. I live in trees. I migrate long distances to the south to spend winter in warm places like Texas. I am Minnesota’s largest bat!

Silver-Haired Bat I have black or silver fur and black wings. I am 3.6-4.6 inches long with a wingspan of 11-13 inches. I weigh 0.3-0.4 oz. I live in trees. I migrate south to spend the winter in warm places. I can live up to 18 years!


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Tri-Colored Bat

I am also known as “eastern pipestrelle.” My head and tail are dark and my belly is light. I am 3-3.6 inches long and have an 8-10 inch wingspan. I weigh 0.2-0.4 oz; I am the smallest bat in Minnesota! I like to migrate south to hibernate in warmer places during the winter, but I always return in the spring to raise my twin pups!

Red Bat I have reddish fur and long, pointed wings. I am 4 inches long with a wingspan of 11-13 inches. I weigh 0.4-0.5 oz. I live in trees. I migrate south to spend the winter in warmer places. I sometime like to hibernate by sleeping in dry leaves on the ground!

Northern Myotis

I have fluffy pale or dark brown fur. My ears, wings and tail are black. My ears are the largest of the Minnesota bats! I am 3.2-3.8 inches long with a wingspan of 9-11 inches. I weigh 0.2-0.4 oz. I migrate in early fall to hibernate in warmer southern temperatures. I can live up to 18 years!


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3. BAT BODY Summary: Students will identify several adaptations in body morphology that make bats successful in their habitats through labeling a skeleton, drawing, and dress up. Objectives:

1. Students will identify the body parts of a bat and how they compare to humans. 2. Students will recognize specialized body parts of a bat and how these parts are

developed for certain activities. Key Terms: specialization, morphology, adaptation Minnesota Science Standards: 0.4.1.1.2 Identify the external parts of a variety of plants and animals including humans. 1.4.1.1.1 Describe and sort animals into groups in many ways, according to their physical characteristics and behaviors. 3.4.1.1.1 Compare how the different structures of plants and animals serve various functions of growth, survival, and reproduction. 5.4.1.1.1 Describe how plant and animal structures and their functions provide an advantage for survival in a given natural system. Duration: 45-60 minutes Materials: Copies of ‘Bat Skeleton’ activity on page 14 Copies of ‘Build a Bat’ activity on page 16 Appendix A. PowerPoint, slides 12-23 Sweater or coat Sheet Sunglasses Whistle or kazoo Headphones or earmuffs, or headband with two cups attached Tongs (like BBQ tongs) Background: Bats have specialized morphology: Wings: Bat wings are covered in skin stretched between fingers like a human hand. Ears: Because bats fly in the dark, their ears hear high-pitched sounds to navigate. Teeth: Minnesota bats eat insects, so they have lots of sharp little teeth. Feet: Hanging upside down helps bats start flying by dropping off the ceiling into the air. Bats have special feet to hang onto the ceiling; when they hang upside down, the weight from their bodies pulls their feet closed so they don’t use any muscles to hold on. They just relax and let gravity do the work!


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Procedure: 1.) Use the “What a Bat Needs” activity to demonstrate how a bat’s body parts are specialized (developed to do specific functions) for a bat’s lifestyle. 2.) Pass out copies of the bat skeleton to fill in. (Optional: PowerPoint.) Point out how a bat wing resembles a human hand with the thumb and fingers. Have students identify ways that bats are similar to humans and different from humans. 3.) Pass out copies of the “Build a Bat” page. Explain to students that the specialized features they add to their bat must help the bat’s lifestyle. Where does their bat live and what does it eat? What body parts does it need to be successful? What are the size, shape, and color of the different body parts? 4.) Have students share their bats. Discuss biodiversity (1,250+ bat species in the world) and how each species is a little different to help them do different things. Assessment: 1.) What body parts does a bat need to survive? Wings, fur, ears, teeth, feet. 2.) How is a bat’s wing formed? Fingers with skin stretched between, and a thumb; it is similar to a human hand. 3.) How do animals survive in their habitats? They develop specialized body parts to be successful at certain skills. 3.1 What a Bat Needs

1. Have a student volunteer be the bat while you lead the class through each adaptation. Add one piece of clothing at a time as you discuss each adaptation until you have a complete bat.

2. Fur: Sweater. Bats are mammals so they all have fur. 3. Wings: Sheet. Bats are the only flying mammal. Bats have wings that are

different from birds. Instead of feathers, bat wings are covered in skin. Their scientific name, Chiroptera, means “hand wing” because they are like a human hand, except their fingers are webbed to form a wing.

4. Eyes: Sunglasses. Bats can see like other animals, but some bats don’t use sight very much because they fly in the dark.

5. Mouth: Whistle. Bats emit chirps and whistles so high-pitched that humans can’t hear most of them. The sounds bounce off of objects in front of them and they hear the bounce as an echo; based on how long it takes the echo to return, they know how far away the object is. This helps them fly and hunt in the dark.

6. Ears: Headphones. Bats have large, specialized ears to help them echolocate. 7. Feet: Tongs. Bats’ feet grip like human hands. Bats have very short legs and

don’t stand up. Instead, they hang upside down from trees, cave walls, ceilings or bridges. They don’t get tired from gripping because their feet are specially attached to their body in a way that allows gravity and the weight of their body to pull their feet closed like a tong or an umbrella, so they don’t use muscles to hold on. To start flying, they drop from the ceiling to save effort on taking off.


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3.2 Bat Skeleton Label the bat skeleton. What body parts are special to bats? What body parts are similar to other animals like humans?


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3.2 Bat Skeleton **ANSWER KEY**


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3.3 Build a Bat Use what you know about bat bodies to give this bat what it needs to live in Minnesota. What you add to your bat is important. Decide where your bat lives and what it eats. What body features does it need to be successful? For example, does it hunt by sight, sound or smell? How large are the different body parts?


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4. ECHOLOCATION Summary: Students learn how bats use echolocation to navigate at night through role play and a maze. Objectives:

1. Students will use their hearing to locate other group members. 2. Students will learn that bats have specialized vocalizations and ears, and rely on

echoes for navigation. Key Terms: echolocation, navigation Minnesota Science Standards: 3.4.1.1.1 Compare how the different structures of plants and animals serve various functions of growth, survival, and reproduction. 5.4.1.1.1 Describe how plant and animal structures and their functions provide an advantage for survival in a given natural system. Duration: 20-30 minutes Materials: Blindfold Copies of ‘Echolocation Maze’ activity on page 19 Appendix A. PowerPoint, slide 25 Optional: “Echolocation Song” video by Jump Start, available at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr-Y2Tt8gFE Background: Bats are not blind. However, seeing at night is not easy. Think about walking in your house with the lights off — now imagine flying fast through lots of trees in the dark! To “see in the dark,” bats use echolocation. Bats fly with their mouths open and chirp sounds so high-pitched that humans cannot hear them. These sounds bounce off objects as an echo. Bats hear the echo and know where the objects are located. This helps bats move around trees, avoid dangerous animals, and hunt flying insects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr-Y2Tt8gFE


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4.1 Bat and Moth Game Procedure: 1.) Explain that to navigate at night, bats emit sound waves to create echoes that they hear with their ears. (Optional: watch “Echolocation Song”). 2.) Form a large circle. Blindfold one student; s/he will be the “bat.” Lead the bat to the middle of the circle. 3.) Appoint 3-4 other students to be “moths” and step inside the circle. Remaining students will space themselves out into a larger circle and be “trees.” 4.) This game resembles Marco Polo. The bat hunts for the insects by calling "Bat!" Moths reply "Moth!" The bat must listen and tag as many moths as possible using only his/her sense of hearing. Continue for approximately 5 minutes. If a moth is tagged, s/he becomes a tree. 5.) If the bat is too close to the edge, the trees say "Tree!” so the bat can avoid them.

Assessment: 1.) Why does the bat call out during the game? Bats emit high-pitched sounds from their mouth. 2.) Why must the moths respond each time the bat calls out? The moths and trees saying ”moth” and “tree” are like the soundwaves bats emit bouncing off of objects and returning to the bat as echoes, which the bats hear and use to hunt and navigate. 3.) Why is echolocation useful for a bat? It helps them to move in the dark, find food, and avoid danger.

Fruit bats, like me, do not use echolocation. Instead we use our

sight and smell to find food. After all, fruit doesn’t run away!


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4.2 Echolocation Maze Help the silver-haired bat move around the forest to catch as many insects as possible and return to the bat house without running into trees or being caught by predators. Circle the insects the bat eats. How many insects did your bat eat? A silver-haired bat can eat hundreds of mosquitoes in one night!


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5. A YEAR AS A BAT Summary: Students understand how bats’ activities change with the seasons, especially migration and hibernation, through role play and math problems. Objectives:

1. Students will learn about bat ecology. 2. Students will learn what bats do each season.

Key Terms: hibernation, migration, homing, seasonality Minnesota Science Standards: 1.4.2.1.1 Recognize that animals need space, water, food, shelter and air. 1.4.2.1.2 Describe ways in which an animal’s habitat provides for its basic needs. Duration: 30-60 minutes Materials: Desks Bed sheets or tarps, at least two Cups of coins, bingo chips, or other small items Copies of ‘Bat Math’ activity on page 23 Appendix A. PowerPoint, slides 25-36. Background: Lifespan: Bats can live 10 years or more; some species can live up to 36 years. Diet: Minnesota bats eat insects, especially mosquitoes and moths. Other bats eat foods like fruit, nectar, pollen, leaves, flowers, bark, and blood. Habitat: Variety of habitats all over the world, except for arctic areas. Family: Bats live in large colonies of a few bats to millions of bats. They hunt alone or in small groups. Although a few species can have as many as four pups per year, most bats only have 1 baby (called a “pup”) per year, which makes them the slowest reproducing mammal for their size. Seasons:

• Spring: Bats wake from hibernation. If the bats migrated south for the winter, they return home to Minnesota. Females give birth to their young. For some kinds of bats, the mother bats take care of their pups in groups, called maternity colonies, to help each other, but each female can still tell which pup is hers by the way it smells. Males live separately, roosting alone or in bachelor colonies.

• Summer: Pups grow quickly; females will mature by the end of the summer, and males by next spring. During summer, bats eat a lot to store energy for hibernation, like bears. They spend several hours after sunset and before dawn searching for food.


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• Fall: By late July, Minnesota’s migratory bats begin moving south for the winter. Some bats have homing senses, like a built-in GPS, and return to the same place to hibernate each year. Males and females meet up and mate.

• Winter: Hibernating bats enter their hibernation cave to go to sleep. The cave needs to be about 50°F; if it’s too warm they can’t lower their body temperature enough to hibernate and if it’s too cold they can freeze to death. Bats lower their body temperature to match the temperature of the cave, and enter a deep sleep. Bats wake up every 10-20 days to urinate and drink water. They don’t eat, but live off the body fat they stored during the summer; lowering their body temperature slows down their metabolism so they don’t burn energy as quickly.

5.1 Be a Bat! Game Procedure: 1.) Use sheets or tarps to create two caves on the sides of the room. Place cups of coins around the room, or scatter the coins on the floor. The coins represent insects. 2.) The students are bats (they can even choose which species). They will spend a year as a bat by following instructions you will read aloud. Read the instructions in quotations below, giving students time to act out each activity. 3.) “Begin by curling up underneath your desks. You are hibernating in the southern United States and winter is just ending.” 4.) “It’s SPRING! You s-l-o-w-l-y wake up from hibernation. Take a nice stretch; you’ve been asleep for six months. It’s time to fly north to Minnesota. Fly around the room three times, Minnesota is pretty far away. Girl bats will fly to one cave to have their babies, and boy bats will fly to the other cave.” 5.) “It’s SUMMER! Time to eat – a lot! Go hunting for as many insects as you can, but only during the night. Girls, don’t forget to go home occasionally to feed your babies.” Students fly around the room collecting coins from the floor or cups around the room. If the coins are in cups, they must go to a different cup for each insect. Optional: You can turn the lights off to signal night, when the students come out to collect coins, and turn the lights on to signal day, when the students return to their caves; repeat a few times. 6.) “It’s FALL! Mother bats, your babies can fly now. Time to migrate south again. Leave your caves and fly around the room three times. Bats use homing devices to find the same hibernation spot as before; can you find yours?” Students should return to their desks. 7.) “It’s WINTER! Time to hibernate. Curl up in your hibernation spot; close your eyes and breathe slowly. To go into hibernation, you would lower your body temperature, stop eating, and go into a deep sleep. Nice job, everyone, you just spent a year as a bat!” 8.) Optional: You may want to clarify that during winter some bat species migrate and can hunt insects in the south where winter is mild (e.g. hoary bat) and some bat species stay in Minnesota and hibernate (e.g. big brown bat).


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Assessment: 1.) What do animals need to live? Space, water, food, shelter, and air. 2.) How does a bat make sure it has what it needs from its habitat? It migrates or hibernates in winter when food is scarce, it reproduces and eats a lot in summer when there is lots of food, and it lives in buildings when other natural shelters are not available. 3.) What is hibernation? A state of sleeping in which metabolism, body temperature, heart rate and breathing rates are lowered to save energy during the winter. 4.) What is migration? A seasonal round-trip journey by an animal. 5.) What is homing? Ability to return directly to the same place from far away. 6.) How are bat families different from human families? Males don’t live with females when they have their babies. Babies grow up and move away from mom quickly. 7.) How is a bat year different than a human year? Migration, hibernation, awake at night. 8.) What do you think is the hardest/coolest thing about being a bat?


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5.2 Bat Math DIET FAMILY LIFE BEHAVIOR

1.) Twenty little brown bats live in a bat house colony. If one bat can catch as many as 1,200 mosquitoes in one hour, how many mosquitoes can the entire colony catch in two hours?

5.) Some kinds of bats have one or two babies (pups) every year. If a tri-colored bat has pups every year for 16 years, having one pup half the time and two the other half, how many pups would she have?

9.) Some kinds of bats are born in spring. They grow quickly, gaining 18% of their birth weight each day. If a pup weighs 3 grams at birth, how much would it weigh by the end of one week?

2.) To drink water, bats skim the surface of a stream and drink water drop-by-drop or lick the water off their fur. A big brown bat flies a maximum of 30 miles a night. How close would the big brown bat want its home to be to water?

6.) A bat pup can weigh 30% of its mother’s body weight. If a mother red bat weighs 14 grams, how much will her baby weigh? If humans were the same way, and a mother weighed 150 pounds, how much would her baby weigh?

10.) In summer, bats that will hibernate eat a lot to store energy for winter. They hunt after dusk and before dawn. A little brown bat catches 600 mosquitoes in one hour. How many mosquitoes can a little brown bat catch in 4 hours?

3.) Bats eat insects like moths. Bats can eat half their weight in one night. If a northern myotis weighs 12 grams and a moth weighs 0.3 grams, how many moths can the bat eat before it feels full?

7.) A bat colony can have over one million (1,000,000) bats living in one cave. Duluth has 86,000 people. How many times would the population of Duluth fit into a bat cave colony?

11.) In fall, a hoary bat migrates south to spend the winter. A hoary bat travels 1,400 miles from Duluth to Texas. If a hoary bat flies 20 miles per night, how many nights would it take the hoary bat to reach Texas?

4.) A Minnesota bat can eat half its weight in insects in one night. How much food could you eat in one night if you were a bat?

8.) White-nose Syndrome, a dangerous disease for cave hibernating bats, can kill 90% of a bat colony. If a colony of 10,000 bats becomes sick with WNS, how many bats might die? How many bats would survive?

12.) In winter, some kinds of bats hibernate. They have to wake up to drink water and urinate. If a silver-haired bat wakes up every 19 days during hibernation, and winter in Minnesota lasts six months, how many times does a silver-haired bat wake up?


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5.2 Bat Math **ANSWER KEY** (Appendix A. PowerPoint, slides 25-36) DIET FAMILY LIFE BEHAVIOR

1.) Twenty little brown bats live in a bat house colony. If one bat can catch as many as 1,200 mosquitoes in one hour, how many mosquitoes can the entire colony catch in two hours? 48,000 mosquitoes

5.) Minnesota bats have one or two babies (pups) every year. If a tri-colored has pups every year for 16 years, having one pup half the time and two the other half, how many pups would she have? 24 babies

9.) Some baby bats are born in spring. They grow quickly, gaining 18% of their birth weight each day. If a pup weighs 3 grams at birth, how much would it weigh by the end of one week? 6.78 grams

2.) To drink water, bats skim the surface of a stream and drink water drop-by-drop or lick the water off their fur. A big brown bat flies a maximum of 30 miles a night. How close would the big brown bat want its home to be to water? 15 miles

6.) A bat pup can weigh 30% of its mother’s body weight. If a mother red bat weighs 14 grams, how much will her baby weigh? If humans were the same way, and a mother weighed 150 pounds, how much would her baby weigh? 4.2 grams; 45 pounds

10.) In summer, bats that will hibernate eat a lot to store energy for winter. They hunt after dusk and before dawn. A little brown bat catches 600 mosquitoes in one hour. How many mosquitoes can a little brown bat catch in 4 hours? 2,400 mosquitoes

3.) Bats eat insects like moths. Bats can eat half their weight in one night. If a northern myotis weighs 12 grams and a moth weighs 0.3 grams, how many moths can the bat eat before it feels full? 20 moths

7.) A bat colony can have over one million (1,000,000) bats living in one cave. Duluth has 86,000 people. How many times would the population of Duluth fit into a bat cave colony? ~12 (11.6) times

11.) In fall, a hoary bat migrates south to spend the winter. A hoary bat travels 1,400 miles from Duluth to Texas. If a hoary bat flies 20 miles per night, how many nights would it take the hoary bat to reach Texas? 70 nights

4.) A Minnesota bat can eat half its weight in insects in one night. How much food could you eat in one night if you were a bat? Depends on the weight of the students

8.) White-nose Syndrome, a dangerous disease for cave hibernating bats, can kill 90% of a bat colony. If a colony of 10,000 bats becomes sick with WNS, how many bats might die? How many bats would survive? 9,000 die, 1,000 survive

12.) In winter, some kinds of bats hibernate. They have to wake up to drink water and urinate. If a silver-haired bat wakes up every 19 days during hibernation, and winter in Minnesota lasts six months, how many times does a silver-haired bat wake up? ~10 times


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6. BAT BENEFITS

Summary: Students recognize the benefits of bats as pollinators, seed dispersers, and pest control through discussion, a word search and story writing.

Objectives: 1. Students will identify the activities bats do that help humans. 2. Students will recognize bats as an important part of the ecosystem.

Key Terms: pollinator, seed dispersal, pest control

Minnesota Science Standards: 1.1.3.1.1 Observe that many living and nonliving things are made of parts and that if a part is missing or broken, they may not function properly. 5.4.2.1.2 Explain what would happen to a system such as a wetland, prairie or garden if one of its parts were changed. Duration: 20-60 minutes Materials: Copies of ‘Word Search’ activity on page 27 Copies of ‘Story’ activity on page 27 Appendix A. PowerPoint, slides 37-38. Optional: banana, corn, cotton ball, cucumber Optional: Video “The Beauty of Pollination” from Ted Talks, available at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHkq1edcbk4; run time 1:51 to 2:57. Background: Pest Control: Minnesota bats eat insects like moths and mosquitoes. This protects crops like corn and cotton from being eaten by insects and protects people from being bitten by mosquitoes. Pollination: Other kinds of bats in the world eat fruit, nectar, and pollen. Some move pollen from one plant to another and act as a pollinator, helping plants produce fruits. Humans like to eat many of these fruits, like bananas, mangoes, and peaches. Seed Dispersal: After eating fruit, bats spread seeds in their guano (poop), helping to plant more fruiting trees. Bat Caves: Bats help support the natural ecosystem in caves. Their guano (poop) provides nutrients for bacteria and micro-organisms living in caves. Procedure: 1.) Discuss with students that Minnesota bats are beneficial to humans and Minnesota ecosystems because they control insects like mosquitoes and moths, and how those

You’re welcome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHkq1edcbk4


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insects are problems for humans. Optional: Use fruits and vegetables as a visual aid in what bats protect. 2.) Discuss how other bats in the world act as pollinators and help plants produce fruit. Optional: Watch the “Beauty of Pollination” video. 3.) Students fill in word search to find how bats help us by protecting our favorite foods. 4.) Students write a short story imagining how the Minnesota or the world would be without bats. Have some or all students share their stories. Discuss how these stories underline the importance of bats in Minnesota. Assessment: 1.) How are bats beneficial to humans? pest control, pollinate, disperse seeds, provide fertilizer, help plants that provide food and medicines, and opportunities for ecotourism. 2.) What other ways are bats beneficial to the environment? Bats eat insects, provide nutrients to cave with guano. 3.) How would the world be different without bats? We would not have certain food crops or fruit trees, food would be much more expensive, mosquito populations would increase. 6.1 Bat Benefits Word Search **ANSWER KEY ** Find all the different plants we like to eat that need bats to survive, and other good things bats do that makes them important in our lives.

Word List U N I P R X B Q U Z E C S I D Banana P O L L I N A T O R V U T P I Carob R M M E H Z B O O G U C L S K Cashew N O O O L A J V D W R U O M Z Corn B K F S N K I G U Q M M S A R Cotton U A P A Q T C O H O P B B A V Cucumber F N N D C U J I G Y N E S S O Date Z A A E T R I N P O F R A A F Fig A T S N F T A T W E H S A C V Guava E N E O F M W R O F G E K G H Insectivore I V U T C A R O B E U G S A T Mango V I H T U E Z O S Q S U I B E Mosquitoes Q A Y O O N G T W J O A L F X Peach N R O C B H A I Y N X V C J F Pickle B G Q Q O T C S I T N A D E D Pollinator


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6.1 Bat Benefits Word Search Find all the different plants we like to eat that need bats to survive, and other good things bats do that makes them important in our lives.

Word List U N I P R X B Q U Z E C S I D Banana P O L L I N A T O R V U T P I Carob R M M E H Z B O O G U C L S K Cashew N O O O L A J V D W R U O M Z Corn B K F S N K I G U Q M M S A R Cotton U A P A Q T C O H O P B B A V Cucumber F N N D C U J I G Y N E S S O Date Z A A E T R I N P O F R A A F Fig A T S N F T A T W E H S A C V Guava E N E O F M W R O F G E K G H Insectivore I V U T C A R O B E U G S A T Mango V I H T U E Z O S Q S U I B E Mosquitoes Q A Y O O N G T W J O A L F X Peach N R O C B H A I Y N X V C J F Pickle B G Q Q O T C S I T N A D E D Pollinator

6.2 Storytelling: The World Without Bats Create a story about how life would be different if there were no bats.


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7. ARE YOU A GOOD NEIGHBOR? Summary: Students identify ways to live with bats and how to act in situations when bats become an unwanted guest through discussion and a quiz. Objectives:

1. Students will recognize bats as wildlife neighbors that deserve respect. 2. Students will identify the proper response they or their family should have in

situations where humans and bats interact. 3. Students will realize that they should never touch or harass a bat.

Key Terms: respect, interaction, humane, caution Minnesota Science Standards: 5.4.4.1.1 Give examples of beneficial and harmful human interaction with natural systems. Duration: 20-30 minutes Materials: Copies of Quiz on page 30 Appendix A. PowerPoint, slides 39-46. Background: Because some kinds of bats live in large colonies and can be a nuisance, they are often cruelly treated or killed when they come into conflict with humans. Because bat populations in Minnesota are already low, it is important to treat bats humanely and respectfully. There are several excellent tips on the DNR website: www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/bats/index.html Bats in the house: Bats enter homes when better habitat is lacking. Bats enter existing holes (remember how small they are) but they do not gnaw holes like rodents do. Bats may be annoying when they make sounds and poop in the attic. The worst response by humans is to seal bats in the house to die. Humans should also not wait until the bats leave at night and then seal the opening, especially in the spring, because that will trap baby bats inside the house. Instead, there are humane ways to encourage bats to leave. Build a bat house and place it elsewhere on your property; bats will likely move to the better location and you get free insect control. Place speakers playing static in the attic or near the site where the bats are staying; often, they will leave. Or, hire a well-recommended professional to humanely remove the live bats. After the bats move out permanently, seal the entrances. Finding a bat: If you find a bat, regardless of whether it is healthy, sick, injured, or dead, DO NOT TOUCH IT! If the bat is on the ground or out during the day, there is a much greater chance that it is sick. Most bats do not carry rabies, but it is important to

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/bats/index.html


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be careful. Remember where it is located, go home and tell a parent or adult, and have them call the DNR bat report line or go on the DNR website to report the bat. Bites: Bats are unlikely to bite you — you’re not food for them. However, like other animals, they can bite if you make them feel threatened or if they are confused. If you are bitten by a bat, tell an adult immediately and thoroughly wash the bite with hot water and soap. If possible, an adult wearing leather gloves should catch the bat and keep it ALIVE in a container. Go to the hospital and take the bat with you. Discuss getting rabies treatment with your doctor. The bat has to be alive to be tested for rabies. If you wake up and there is a bat in your room, find an adult to catch the bat as described above and go to the doctor in case you have been bitten. Pesticides: It is popular to use pesticides to control annoying insects. Bats might be poisoned when they eat insects that have been poisoned. It is best not to use pesticides in areas where you know bats live. Bats are free and eco-friendly pest control. Caves: Bats use caves to hibernate. Do not enter caves if you think bats might be living there, especially in winter. Entering caves can wake bats up; waking up uses the bats’ fat reserves more quickly, so they may starve to death before winter ends. If humans are annoying enough, the bats will leave to find another home. Forcing bats to move in winter can also cause death from cold exposure. Procedure: 1.) Students take the quiz. 2.) Discuss the answers. Why did students choose their answers? Discuss why it is important to treat bats with respect. Emphasize to never touch bats. Also emphasize to leave bats alone while hibernating and not to enter caves. Assessment: 1.) What should students never do when they see a bat? Try to touch the bat. 2.) What should students do if they see a sick, injured or dead bat? Ask their parents to call the DNR or go to the DNR website and report the location of the bat. 3.) What is the first thing you should always do if you see a bat or are bitten? Find an adult. 4.) When is the best time to explore a cave where bats live? Never, or at least not in winter; only go with an experienced guide to safe caves. 5.) What is something your family can do to make your yard or neighborhood safer for bats? Depends on student; e.g. build bat house, not use pesticides.


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7.1 Are You a Good Neighbor? Bats, like many neighbors, can be difficult to live with sometimes if you do not know how to find solutions. Below, choose good solutions to each situation. There can be more than one answer. Share these tips for living with bats with your parents!

Situation What Should You Do? (1.) You find bats living in your attic.

(A.) Seal the entrance the bats use. Leave them and their babies inside to die. (B.) Build a bat house somewhere else on your property. Bats will move there instead. (C.) Put speakers playing static in the attic. The bats will not like the noise and move out. (D.) Hire a professional to humanely remove the bats alive.

(2.) You find a sick, injured or dead bat.

(A.) Touch it, pick it up and take it home with you. (B.) Do not touch it. Let an adult know you found it so it can be removed safely by a professional.

(3.) You have lots of mosquitoes and annoying insects in your yard.

(A.) Do not use pesticides. The chemicals could make bats or other animals sick. Let the bats eat the insects; they may be gross to us, but they are yummy to bats. (B.) Use lots of pesticides to get rid of the nasty bugs.

(4.) You and your friends are walking around in winter and find a cave.

(A.) Go in and look around! The bats will not mind if you wake them up. (B.) Waking bats up from hibernation uses energy reserves, so they might not survive winter. Do not enter the cave.

Hey there, neighbor!


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7.1 Are You a Good Neighbor? **ANSWER KEY** Bats, like many neighbors, can be difficult to live with sometimes if you do not know how to find solutions. Below, choose good solutions for each situation. There can be more than one answer. Share these tips for living with bats with your parents! Good solutions are high-lighted.

Situation What Should You Do? (1.) You find bats living in your attic.

(A.) Seal the entrance the bats use. Leave them and their babies inside to die. (B.) Build a bat house somewhere else on your property. Bats will move there instead. (C.) Put speakers playing static in the attic. The bats will not like the noise and move out. (D.) Hire a professional to humanely remove the bats alive.

(2.) You find a sick, injured or dead bat.

(A.) Touch it, pick it up and take it home with you. (B.) Do not touch it. Let an adult know you found it so it can be removed safely by a professional.

(3.) You have lots of mosquitoes and annoying insects in your yard.

(A.) Do not use pesticides. The chemicals could make bats or other animals sick. Let the bats eat the insects; they may be gross to us, but they are yummy to bats. (B.) Use lots of pesticides to get rid of the nasty bugs.

(4.) You and your friends are walking around in winter and find a cave.

(A.) Go in and look around! The bats will not mind if you wake them up. (B.) Waking bats up from hibernation uses energy reserves, so they might not survive winter. Do not enter the cave.

Answers: (1.) B,C,D; (2.) B; (3.) A; (4.) B


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8. WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME Summary: Students will become aware of a serious conservation issue for bats through discussion and a computer research project. Objectives:

1. Students will discuss a serious danger to bats. 2. Students will identify ways to protect bats.

Key Terms: White-nose Syndrome, disease, conservation, prevention Minnesota Science Standards: 2.1.2.2.1 Identify a need or problem and construct an object that helps to meet the need or solve the problem. Duration: 15-20 minutes; homework Materials: Appendix A. PowerPoint, slide 47 Computer access Bat website: www.nrri.umn.edu/bats Background: White-nose Syndrome is a fungal disease that kills U.S. bats. It started on the east coast in 2006. Once a bat colony becomes sick, up to 90% of the bats die. A bat colony in Vermont went from 400,000 bats to 36 bats in one year after they became sick. As of 2012 Minnesota does not have White-nose Syndrome, but it is likely the disease will come here. Procedure: Discuss the dangers of White-nose Syndrome and how we can help Minnesota protect our bats: 1. Identify It is important to know how to identify White-nose Syndrome. A healthy bat has clean fur and a clean nose. A sick bat is often covered with fuzzy white fungus on its wings, ears, and nose.

Healthy

Sick

Photo Credit: Fish and Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/northeast/wnspics.html


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2. Report If you find a dead bat or a bat that is sick with White-nose Syndrome, tell your parents and have them contact the authorities right away. Call the Minnesota DNR toll-free at 888-345-1730 or go to www.mndnr.gov/reportbats. 3. Prevent There is no known cure for the disease, so it is better for our bats to not become sick in the first place. You can help prevent the spread of White-nose Syndrome. If your family likes to explore caves, make sure you always wash your shoes, clothes and equipment before you enter a different cave. This will stop the spread of the fungus that causes the disease. Do not enter caves in winter when bats are hibernating. Actually, it is best to not enter caves at all when you know bats are living there. Assessment: 1.) Why is WNS dangerous? There is no known cure and it kills almost all bats it infects. 2.) Is WNS in Minnesota? Not as of 2012, but it is in several nearby states and is spreading quickly. 3.) What are good ways to protect bats from WNS? Do not enter bat caves, clean hiking and spelunking gear between caves, build bat houses to provide more habitat choices. 8.1 Computer Research Project Visit the bat website www.nrri.umn.edu/bats and use the maps, graphs, and other resources to answer the following questions: 1.) What is White-nose Syndrome? Where is it from? 2.) When and where did WNS first appear? In which states is it found now? 3.) How dangerous is WNS to bats? How many bats has it affected? 4.) How is WNS spread? 5.) Do you think WNS can be spread to Minnesota? 6.) What do you think is an important way to prevent WNS from coming to Minnesota? 8.2 Bat House A good way to help bat conservation is to build a bat house. Instructions are at the back of the book.

http://www.mndnr.gov/reportbats


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9. BE BATS’ BEST FRIEND Summary: Students will identify various conservation projects and learn how important and fun it is to be involved in conservation efforts through a class project and political activism. Objectives:

1. Students will develop a group conservation project in the community. 2. Students will express their thoughts to their political representatives.

Key Terms: activism, conservation, involvement Minnesota Science Standards: 2.1.2.2.1 Identify a need or problem and construct an object that helps to meet the need or solve the problem. 5.4.4.1.1 Give examples of beneficial and harmful human interaction with natural systems. Duration: 30 minutes to several days Materials: variable Appendix A. PowerPoint, slide 48 Procedure: Now that you know about bats, there are lots of things you can do to help protect them! Discuss the following ideas with students:

Build a bat house so bats have nice places to live. Volunteer to clean up trash from forests, streams or lakes. A clean habitat makes

for a happy bat. Tell your political representatives that you want them to help protect bats with

laws and research funding. Use the postcard on the next page, or visit batcon.org to write a postcard for BCI to hand-deliver to your Congress representative.

Learn more about bats at batcon.org and www.nrri.umn.edu/bats. Plan a conservation project with your class or school.

Thanks for learning about bats! I hope we’ll be friends for a long time!


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Date: Dear

Please help conserve Minnesota’s bat species. Bats are important to Minnesota because…

Name:

Minnesota Senator

Bats are important to me because…

302 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Thank you for protecting bats! Sincerely,

Place

Stamp

Here


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10. FINAL ASSESSMENT Summary: Students will demonstrate what they have learned about bats through a crossword puzzle. Objective:

1. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of important concepts about bats.

Procedure: Students complete the crossword puzzle as a final assessment of the bat conservation activity series.

Conservation extra credit for building a bat house! Instructions are at the back of the book.


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10.1 Bat Crossword Use the clues given to fill in the crossword puzzle about bats. 17 15 16 3 13 11 2 5 6 1 14 10 9 7 18 8 4 12 Across: Down: 1. The most common bat in Minnesota. 2. To fly south for winter. 4. Number of bat species in the world. 3. A dangerous disease for bats. 6. The largest bat in Minnesota. 5. Bats eat moths, which protects our ____. 8. Bats can see; they are not ____. 6. A deep sleep during winter. 9. Who can do things to help bat conservation? 7. Food for Minnesota bats. 10. Bats are the only ____ that can truly fly. 13. The protection of the environment. 11. Minnesota bats “see” in the dark with ____. 15. The smallest bat in Minnesota. 12. Bats live in ____ or trees. 16. Bats hang upside down by specialized ____. 14. This bat hibernates on the ground. 17. A baby bat. 15. You should never ____ a bat. 18. Number of bat species in Minnesota.

Thanks for hanging with us bats!


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10.1 Bat Crossword **ANSWER KEY** Use the clues given to fill in the crossword puzzle about bats.

17P 15T O U C H R P I 16F C E 3W O E 13C 11E C H O L O C A T I O N O I O N T R S 2M 5F E E 6 H O A R Y E 1B I G B R O W N D I R G O O B V R 14R E D S E 10M A M M A L 9M E 7 I R T T S N N I I Y S A O O N E T 18S E V E N N 8B L I N D C I R T O 4T H O U S A N D M 12C A V E S

Across:

Down:

1. The most common bat in Minnesota. Big Brown 2. To fly south for winter. Migration 4. Number of bat species in the world. Thousand 3. A dangerous disease for bats. White-nose Syndrome 6. The largest bat in Minnesota. Hoary 5. Bats eat moths, which protects our food. 8. Bats can see; they are not blind. 6. A deep sleep during winter. Hibernation 9. Who can do things to help bat conservation? Me 7. Food for Minnesota bats. Insects 10. Bats are the only mammal that can truly fly. 13. The protection of the environment. Conservation 11. Minnesota bats “see” in the dark with echolocation. 12. Bats live in caves or trees. 14. This bat hibernates on the ground. Red 15. You should never touch a bat. 18. Number of bat species in Minnesota. Seven

15. The smallest bat in Minnesota. tri-colored 16. Bats hang upside down by specialized feet. 17. A baby bat. Pup


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BAT HOUSE INSTRUCTIONS (adapted from BCI) Materials: ¼ sheet (2’ x 4’) ½” AC, BC or T1-11 plywood One piece 1” x 2” (3/4” x 1½” finished) x 8’ pine (furring strip) 20 to 30 exterior-grade screws, 1” One pint dark, water-based stain, exterior grade One pint water-based primer, exterior grade One quart flat, water-based paint or stain, exterior grade One tube paintable latex caulk 1” x 4” x 28” board for roof 2-4 exterior grade screws, 1½ - 2” Recommended tools: Table saw or handsaw Variable-speed reversing drill with bit Tape measure or yardstick Caulking gun Paintbrushes Hammer Construction: 1. Measure and cut plywood into two pieces:

26.5” x 24” (backboard) 21.5” x 24” (topboard) 2. Roughen one side of the plywood with deep

groves, especially on landing area. Space groove 1/4” to ½”, cutting 1/32” to 1/16” deep.

3. Cut furring strip into one 24” and two 20.5” pieces.

4. Place backboard on flat surface, roughed area facing up. Place 24” furring strip across top of backboard. Place 20.5” furring strips along sides of backboard. Place topboard on furring strips, roughed area facing down.

5. With a reversible screwdriver and drill bit, screw guide holes through lined up wood.

6. With a screwdriver bit, screw 1” screws into guide holes.

7. Line up roof board so that it is flush with backboard and equal portions hanging over each side. Drill guide holes, than screw in 2” screws.

8. With a caulking gun, apply caulk into all cracks and gaps and smooth. Let dry for at least one day.

9. Apply at least one coat of primer and at least 2 coats of paint.

10. You can hang the house on a pole, tree, or building. For hanging instructions, visit www.batcon.org.

Image Credit: BCI, www.batcon.org

Looks cozy!


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FEEDBACK FORM Teachers: Please take a few minutes to give us feedback so that we can improve Bats in Our Backyard. We will also use your comments to help us develop other educational materials. Thank you for taking the time to give us your ideas! Rate the Sections Please use the numbers below to rate the sections in Bats in Our Backyard. Feel free to add comments related to the content, design, or usefulness of the materials. Ratings: 4=Great! 3=Good 2=Average 1=Poor Rating Section Comments 1. Myths and Rumors 2. Meet the Stars 3. Bat Body 4. Echolocation 5. A Year as a Bat 6. Bat Benefits 7. Are You a Good Neighbor? 8. White-nose Syndrome 9. Be Bats’ Best Friend 10. Final Assessment General Comments What do you like best about Bats in Our Backyard? What recommendations do you have to improve Bats in Our Backyard? What topics would you like the Lake Superior Zoo to develop educational materials for in the future? Contact Information (optional): Name: Email: School: Grade: Please return this form to: Lake Superior Zoo Education Department 7210 Fremont Street Duluth, MN 55807

To the Bat House! Scavenger Hunt Instructions: There are bat houses located at four parks around Duluth. Use the clues below to find the bat house and a sign about bats at each park. On the sign, you can use the QR code to access bat facts to answer the Star Question. Bring your answers to the Lake Superior Zoo to win a prize! You must answer Star Questions at two of the bat houses to win a prize, but challenge yourself to find all four! Happy searching! Find more information at our website: www.nrri.umn.edu/bats Park Clues: Park Clue #1: Popular with picnickers since the 1890s, this park displays evidence of

Glacial Lake Duluth, trees over 100 years old, and a swimming hole known as “The Deeps.”

Park Clue #2: Completed in 1908, this home belonged to the wealthiest family in

Duluth. The estate was donated to become a historic museum and displays its original furniture and artwork.

Park Clue #3: Named after the family that homesteaded the area, this park has volcanic

rock that is more than one billion years old, some of the oldest rock on Earth.

Park Clue #4: Established in 1880, this is one of the oldest parks in Duluth and features

trails, waterfalls, and Elephant Rock. What are you searching for?

Bat House: Bat Sign: Hey Parents! Here are the answers to Park Clues: The scavenger hunt will be available starting in June 2013. Park #1 – Lester Park (Superior Street & 61st Avenue East) Park #2 – Glensheen Historic Estate (3300 London Road) Park #3 – Chester Park (14th Avenue East & 4th Street) Park #4 – Lincoln Park (West Skyline Drive & Lincoln Park Drive)

bats in our backyard: meet minnesota’s marvelous...

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