Arboretum at Night: Wine and Cheese and Bats

Title: Arboretum at Night: Wine and Cheese and Bats
Location: Houston Arboretum, 4501 Woodway Drive Houston, TX
Event Link: Click here
Description: Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight and they have radiated into almost every habitat on earth. They are responsible for eating millions of night-flying insects, dispersing seeds in rain forests and pollinating plants in deserts. Only three out of the 1,100+ species of bats are vampires and feed solely on the blood of other mammals and birds. Other bats are carnivorous and capture small vertebrate prey, such as lizards, birds, and even other bats. Their great diversity of feeding strategies is a testament to the adaptability of these nocturnal animals. Unfortunately, most things that people think that they know about bats are not even true. For instance, bats are not blind; they do not get entangled in human hair; and they do not “carry” rabies.

For this evening event, enjoy wine and cheese while Dr. Cullen Geiselman gives a brief summary of the world’s bat species, their habitats, life histories, and dispels common bat myths as well as discusses the eight bat species found in the Houston area. Afterwards we will go on a ‘bat walk’ on the Arboretum grounds to spotlight and detect bats using an ultrasonic bat detector.

Note: Must be 21 or over to attend. Event will be held inside in case of rain.

Date: October 2, 2010; 7:00-9:00pm

Guide: Dr. Cullen Geiselman is a specialist in Bat/Plant interaction in the Neotropics. Geiselman received her doctorate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Columbia in 2010. Geiselman has spent time studying in Kenya and Costa Rica, and has worked for Bat Conservation International in Austin. Since 2010 she has been a proud Arboretum board member.

Cost: $30 for members, and $45 for non-members
Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2010-10-02
End Time: 21:00