Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years. Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week! I read an awesome article that I just have to share with you! Obviously, it’s about bats, but it’s also good news about bats and white-nose syndrome. Researchers have discovered that the winter populations of some hibernating bats have stabilized. These bats live in the same areas that white-nose syndrome first appeared years ago! They haven’t figured out how or why these bats are surviving, and there are still a lot fewer bats now than there were, but the fact that more aren’t dying in upstate New York is very good news. Scientists think that bats might be able to adapt to the fungus. This is obviously very important, because if they can adapt, they might be able to survive. They discovered that the surviving bats are waking up less during hibernation, so now they have a better chance of storing enough energy to survive the winter. Since white-nose syndrome is still spreading across North America, hibernating bats are still in a lot of trouble. Last week, WNS was found in Washington state. That was horrible news because now WNS is a coast-to-coast disease. It has been found in 28 states and 5 Canadian provinces. I think it’s really sad that Fairfax County, VA doesn’t have any little brown bats anymore. That means that kids like me will never get to see one. I hope that the little brown bats in New York will make a comeback. If they can do […]
After three years, we’ve come to the sad realization that Lucy’s Club is not working. Only a tiny handful of users contributed through the club, and almost no one took advantage of the points system. So we’ve decided to rejigger things a bit. We are eliminating the points system, but we still want everyone to get involved in bat conservation. Our list of things to do will stay up, and we encourage you to share your actions with us. We’ll remain a platform for you to share your conservation actions, and we’ll start issuing monthly Conservation Challenges for fun. We welcome your feedback on how you’d like to interact with us and how to best showcase your amazing actions!
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years. Hi everyone! I’m Baaack! I’m here with a bonus edition of the Baturday News! This news just could not wait another week, so I hope you all don’t mind. The latest animated bat video has been released! This one is called Om Nom Nom and it is a real thriller! The star of the show is a heroic bat named Milo. The video begins with a terrifying scene that reminds the viewer of a horror movie. We watch as a garden is invaded by a swarm of terrifying insects. The most amazing theatrical performance that could ever be done by produce is accomplished by an ear of corn. We watch as Ms. Corn is viciously attacked by marauding insects. Luckily, before all hope is lost, a young bat named Milo flies in to save the day. Little Milo does what bats do best and gobbles up all the invading insects. This movie shows the viewer how important bats are to a garden. Through his heroic acts and his amusingly barbaric burp, little Milo shows that bats really are not scary at all. There is no doubt in this movie reviewer’s mind that little Milo will be nominated for an Emmy or an Oscar after this performance. I believe “Best Supporting Actress” could definitely go to Ms. Corn. So, without further ado, please watch the latest video, Om Nom Nom. Little Milo and the various produce would like to thank the volunteers of Save Lucy for their hard work and dedication to […]
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years. Today’s blog is dedicated to the people of Brussels, Belgium. I hope the injured recover quickly and that the people who lost loved ones find peace. I would also like to say “hello” to my family there. Although I haven’t met you, I was worried about you and I am very glad that you are all OK. Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week. Since it is Easter season, I had been planning on writing about a cute little long eared bat. It wouldn’t be a bunny, but it would be the closest that a bat could get to one. After hearing the news about what happened in Brussels, I thought I would find a long eared bat that lives in Belgium. I got very lucky! There is an adorable little bat that lives in most of Europe, including Belgium. It is the Brown Long-Eared Bat and it is really cute. The brown long-eared bat has really big ears. Its ears are almost as long as its body! When the bat is flying, it holds its ears upright. When the bat is resting the ears curl back to look like a ram’s horns, or they get tucked under the bat’s wings. Brown long-eared bats have long gray-brown fur. They have a wingspan of 23-28 cm and weigh 6-12 g. They usually live 4-5 years. Brown long-eared bats like to eat yummy moths, beetles, flies, caddis flies, beetles and earwigs. These bats fly slowly compared to other bats and […]
You can download our animated shorts from our Vimeo channel. They are available for you to use in your own educational efforts, to amuse your friends, and to promote bats and bat conservation. Keep spreading the word–Bats Aren’t Scary!
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years. Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week! Before I tell you the most exciting news I’ve been able to share with you for weeks, I would like to remind everyone that tonight from 8:30-9:30 is Earth Hour. Please turn off all non-essential electric devices and lights for this hour in support of WWFs effort to save the planet. Remember, we all have to do our part to save the Earth. It’s the only planet with CANDY!!! AND BATS!!! Now for the news… I am very excited because the next animated bat video has been released! This one is called Settle Down and it is absolutely, amazingly adorable! This video has a much larger cast than the last video. Here we meet an entire colony of bats, although not all of them have starring roles. Most of the colony plays the part of sleeping bats. There is also Mom, Auntie Grumpus, a bat pup named Nick and another pup. The pups in this film do an amazing job, despite their young age. They play the parts of little bats who don’t particularly want to go to sleep. While goofing around, they lose their grip on the wooden beam they are hanging from and begin to fall. I would like to mention that they do this without the help of stunt doubles! They do all their own work and make it look so real! This soon to be award winning movie teaches the viewer a valuable lesson. Not only do […]
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years. Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week! I have some very sad news. I found a news story about White Nose Syndrome. In northeastern Minnesota, hundreds of bats were found dead at the entrance of a mine. Scientists tested the bats and found out that they died of WNS. This means that White Nose Syndrome is now in the state of Minnesota! Since WNS was discovered in New York, it has spread to 27 states and 5 Canadian provinces. It has killed nearly 6 million bats [a very conservative estimate–ed.]. There are 7 species of bats in Minnesota. Four of them hibernate during the winter, so they are at the greatest risk of getting WNS. Since the mortality rate is between 90 and 100%, this is very bad news for the bats of Minnesota. Scientists think that the mortality rate might be different from site to site and in different species. Hopefully the Minnesota bats will have better luck than bats in other states. The bats here in Virginia have suffered miserably. If you want to read the story, you can find it here. And now for a general “public service announcement”…Daylight Savings Time begins tomorrow morning. Sadly, this means that we are losing an hour of sleep. So, this is your friendly reminder to spring ahead tonight so you won’t be late tomorrow.
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years. Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week! Most of my week was good, but I had to take some standardized tests (the VA SOLs). That was not fun, but at least it’s over for now. There will be more in May. L The bats are all very happy that they do not have to take them. I’m a little bit jealous. I’m sure some of you have noticed that it is Girl Scout cookie season. That means, of course, that it is also Bat Scout cookie season! The season is almost over and the little Bat Scouts have been working really hard selling their cookies. They are the same cookie flavors as last year, which were… Mango Munchies – Perfect for fruit bats. These bite-sized mango cookies are dusted with powdered banana and are bursting with yummy mango flavor. Bat Wings – Shaped like a bat’s wing, these delicate-tasting, insect flavored cookies are delightfully simple and satisfying. Crunch-A-Dos – Crisp and crunchy beetle shell cookies with creamy worm filling. Caledonias – Crisp fruity cookie coated in nectar, sprinkled with toasted pollen, and striped with a dark blossomy coating. Hangalongs – Crispy cookies layered with mealworm butter and covered with a mothy coating. Thin Moths – Crispy cookies covered with a mothy coating. Rah Rah Rove Beetles – Hearty beetle shell cookies with plump rove beetle chunks. Don’t they sound tasty? I think most humans would love the Mango Munchies better than the others. The bats are all flapping […]
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years. Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week! Freda did not. Apparently, she is still very sad that she doesn’t have a sponsor. She was really looking forward to one. Hopefully she’ll find herself one soon. She is a cute little bat, after all. In the meantime, Freda decided to write some more poetry. Sad Bat I’m a sad bat I might even have to wear a hat That would not be super But I would have to be a trooper It might fall And then I would bawl I don’t have a sponsor Were they too busy winning an Oscar? I wonder if they have a cat I am a sad bat Hopefully she’ll cheer up soon. There really is nothing more pitiful looking than a sad little bat. She wrote another poem when she was feeling a little more optimistic. Super Bat Who will be my sponsor? This person will know I am not a monster They will know I am Super! Much, much more than a grouper I am strong like Superman I’m a girl, so I’m not Batman I am not a bird or a plane I fly as fast as a train I am much better than a cat I AM SUPER BAT! Well, if that lovely poem doesn’t get her a sponsor, I don’t know what will. What do you all think?
Baturday News is a weekly blog written by Rachael, a middle school student and Save Lucy volunteer. Rachael’s interest in bats was sparked by the big brown bats that used the outside of her former home for a winter roost. Her family cheerfully hosted the wild colony for years. Hi everyone! I hope you all had a good week! Wasn’t Reggie’s video amazing? I can’t wait for the next one! In the meantime, I read a really cool article. Some of you probably already saw it. I saw it on Save Lucy’s Facebook page. It is about how two rare bats were roosting in an old building in Virginia Beach. The building was about to be turned into a wildlife rehabilitation center. The bats are Rafinesque big-eared bats! The Rafinesque big-eared bat is listed as endangered, so it was really lucky that the bats were found. And it was especially awesome that they were found by wildlife rehabilitators. The rehabilitators are going to let the bats stay where they are. Then they are going to figure out a way to let the bats be happy while they roost, but let the people have their building too. You can read the article here. Reading about these bats got me thinking…I had never heard of the Rafinesque big-eared bat. So, I decided to do a little research on them. They are adorable!!! You should see their ears! The really amazing thing is that these bats aren’t supposed to live in Virginia Beach! The map that I saw showing where these bats live showed that the bats are only found in three counties in southwestern Virginia. I think it’s awesome that they were found! I hope the people in Virginia Beach realize just how lucky they are.