Discover Nature: Bats Eat the Bugs that Bug YOU!

Pepperwood’s Discover Nature Lecture series brings people together for captivating lectures by local researchers, authors, artists and environmental leaders. Past topics have included black bears, beaver ecology, native pollinators, Native American land stewardship, ecological grazing for wildland management and more! These engaging talks are held most months on the first Thursday and include time for Q&A with our wonderful speakers. Find our upcoming lectures here.

This October, our Discover Nature Lecture featured Corky Quirk of NorCal Bats, who came to Pepperwood to dispel harmful bat myths and teach us about these amazing creatures and the crucial role they play in our Northern California ecosystems. For her demonstration, Corky solicited the help of six very patient and tolerant “bat ambassadors.” These ambassadors are live bats who were rescues through Corky’s organization. For various reasons they were not able to be returned to the wild, but their life has been given new purpose with Corky’s help. And they were such good sports, with an audience of over 90 people attending the Dwight Center was full to the brim! One thing was for sure though, if people didn’t come to Pepperwood a bat enthusiast that night, they certainly left as one!

If you weren’t able to make it to this lecture, that’s okay, because we recorded it for you in Pepperwood’s first ever blogcast, and we also took some cool videos! We hope you learn lots and enjoy the highlights from Corky’s lecture below. Be sure to leave comments and tell us what you think.

For some visual perks, check out these videos below. First up, one of Corky’s bat ambassadors is kind enough to show us their teeth in a demonstration. For a reward, the bat ambassador delights in a delicious mealworm (which is the second video). Lastly, an interesting tidbit on bat flight. Did you know that bats rely on their shoulder muscles to fly, rather than their chest muscles like birds? Check it out: