First, watch Bat Zone director Rob Mies and friends on the Tonight Show and see if you don't fall in love just a little:
OBC on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien from Michael Narlock on Vimeo.
9th Annual Great Lakes Bat Festival
Cranbrook Institute of Science
July 30-31, 2010
39221 Woodward, Bloomfield Hills
248-645-3232
batconservation.org
For more information about the festival: www.batconservation.org or call (248) 645-3232. For directions to Cranbrook Institute of Science: www.cranbrook.edu. For hotel accommodations, please contact the Radisson Hotel next to Cranbrook at (248) 644-1400. Mention the Bat Festival at Cranbrook for discounted rates.
Friday, July 30 Special Presentation, 7 PM
Zoologist Bill Schutt, (author of the book, Dark Banquet) takes the audience on an entertaining voyage into the world of some of its strangest animals – the blood-feeding creatures. Live vampire bats will be shown at this special program. Saturday, July 31 Events and Activities, 10 AM to 6 PM
Discover how bats are important to the ecosystem. The festival features live bat programs, live nocturnal animal exhibit, educational exhibits, bat-themed activities for kids, story time, and presentations by bat experts from around the Great Lakes region. There will also be updates on White-nose Syndrome. Come learn about bat houses, meet authors of bat books, and visit the Bat Zone. Speakers include Dr. Al Kurta from Eastern Michigan University, Dr. Tim Carter from Ball State University, Dr. Maarten Vonhof from Western Michigan University, Bill Scullon from Michigan DNRE, Mike Frayer and Dawn Fleishaus from Milwaukee County Zoo, and Dave Redell from Wisconsin DNR. Don’t miss Janell Cannon’s (author of the book Stellaluna and other children’s books) presentations about how she creates her enduring characters. Also, author and artist Fiona Reid will speak about her world travels in search of rare bats. Lastly, check out the live bats including giant flying foxes and vampire bats!
2010 Bat Festival Speakers
Dr. Bill Schutt (C.W. Post College of Long Island University)
Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures (Friday)
Vampire Bats: Stories from the Field and the Lab
Janell Cannon (award-winning author of the book “Stellaluna”)
Stellaluna, Verdi, Pinduli: Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
Dr. Maarten Vonhof (Western Michigan University)
Threats to Bats of the Great Lakes Region
Echolocation: How do bats fly at night?
Dr. Al Kurta (Eastern Michigan University)
Bats of Michigan: Natural History Perspective
Fiona Reid (Artist & Author)
In Search of the World’s Rare Bats
Bill Scullon (Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
Bats and Mines: Protecting Michigan’s Natural Resources
Mike Frayer (Milwaukee County Zoo)
Bats and Public Health
Dawn Fleishaus (Milwaukee County Zoo)
Vampires and other Bats in Zoos
Dr. Tim Carter (Ball State University)
Bat Houses and other Artificial Roosts
Dave Redell (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)
Bat Citizen Science Project in Wisconsin
Family Barbecue and Live Music 6 PM to 8 PM
At the Senior Cabin near the Rouge River tributary
Bat Science Night 8 PM to 10 PM
Meet bat experts and see how researchers use technology to study bats. Watch wild bats dip and dive as they emerge for the night in search of insects. This event is free to Cranbrook Institute of Science and Organization for Bat Conservation members.
