Family Bat Fest

​

Nature-lovers of all ages are invited to attend Family Bat Fest, a day of discovery about the beneficial role of bats and the importance of protecting their native habitat.

The event will be held at the Wauzeka Village Hall where presentations by bat ecology experts, educational activities, and live bats will be shared to help the public better understand and appreciate the world’s only flying mammals. With advance registration required, a limited number of guided cave tours at Kickapoo Caverns, the Conservancy’s protected bat hibernation site, will also be offered during the event. Family Bat Fest is one of Mississippi Valley Conservancy’s Linked-to-the Land events, sponsored by Mayo Clinic-Franciscan Healthcare of La Crosse.

Due to declining bat populations in North America in recent years, scientists have conducted reserach and helped to create public awareness of bats, their beneficial role in ecosystems around the world, and what can be done to protect them. Of particular concern is white-nose syndrome (WNS), a debilitating fungal infection that disrupts the hibernation of bats. Attendeed at Family Bat Fest will have an opportunity to learn more about bats and what can be done to protect them.

PRESENTATIONS
Among the special guest presenters at Family Bat Fest will be Jennifer Redell, Conservation Biologist / Cave & Mine Specialist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In her role at the DNR, Ms. Redell has provided consultation to Mississippi Valley Conservancy with regard to its protection of bat habitat on its recently acquired Kickapoo Caverns property. The focus of Ms.Redell's talk will be bat ecology, and she will show live bats as part of her presentation. Her Bat's LIVE! presentation will be repeated to allow cave tour attendees to see and hear it before or after their tours. Click to view a detailed schedule of the presentations. Activities offered at Family Bat Fest will include the Wheel of Conservation, Bat Lunch Box Discovery, and the Echolocation game. The above mentioned presentations will all take place at the Wauzeka Village Hall, and they are all free of charge. Walk-ins welcome! 

CAVE TOURS – SOLD OUT
A special feature of Family Bat Fest will be a limited number of guided tours of the cave at Kickapoo Caverns – a nature preserve protected by Mississippi Valley Conservancy. Due to the sensitive nature of the cave and for safety reasons, the cave tours will be limited in size and number and advance registration is required. Those registered to tour the cave will be transported by bus to and from the site, a few miles from Wauzeka. Due to parking and conservation restrictions, no private vehicles will be allowed on the Kickapoo Caverns property.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Lunch and beverages will be available for sale at the Village Hall, courtesy of the Lions Club of Wauzeka. We hope you'll join us in supporting them!

WHAT TO BRING
This is a rain or shine event, and most activities will be conducted indoors. There is a gas station/convenience store next to the village hall. Special access considerations and requirements for clothing and footwear of cave tour registrants is available on the online registration site.