Conservation Creation: Bewitching Bats

October 31, 2023

This October in Jeansboro Junction we are creating flying bats! Join us at the GSC on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30, or read on to make this spoon bat craft at home!

What spooky creature is featured in halloween decor, and the only true flying mammal? The bat! Here at the GSC we study bats in a variety of ways, including the use of bat detectors on site, as well as conducting bat surveys in the field. Read more on the bat projects we participate in here.

One reason bats are important to the environment is their diet. In North Carolina and other areas where insectivorous bats live, they can eat a large percentage of their body weight in insects in one night. Bats feed on mosquitoes and other insect species that are considered pests.

Bats are one of the few mammals in the area that hibernate all winter. Many other mammal species can be active on warmer winter days, while bats are not. Bats will store up the necessary nutrients that they need for the winter. For this reason, if you know of a bat hibernation spot, known as a hibernacula, you should avoid it so the bats do not waste that energy waking up. Another reason to avoid bat habitats is to stop the spread of white nose syndrome. This fungus attaches to the noses of bats, causing them to wake up from hibernation to groom themselves. So while bats are awesome and helpful, we should appreciate them from a distance.

Now for our craft!

You will need:

Black spoon
Googly eyes
Black, white, and pink construction paper
Pink tissue paper
Glue
Scissors

Step 1: Cut out your shapes. Use black construction paper for the wings and ears, then use white for the teeth. You can also use pink paper to make the insides of the ears.