When we hear the word community, we often think of the place we live, the people we know and our families. What we oftentimes forget to realize, is that every living and non-living part of our world is what truly makes our community complete. Without this interconnectedness with the Earth and all its inhabitants, we as humans could not exist. It is our responsibility to tread lightly on this planet and do what we can to care for all members of our Earth community.
Kim Williams and Rob Mies are two such people who have embraced this mind-set and have chosen to dedicate their lives to help protect one of the world’s most misunderstood animals, the bat. Williams and Mies are the co-founders of the Organization for Bat Conservation (OBC), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization housed in the Bat Zone at the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The mission of OBC is to protect bats and their natural habitat by providing educational programming, supporting ecological research and working collaboratively on conservation projects. A visit to the Bat Zone is a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with live bats and other nocturnal animals like sugar gliders, owls and a rare two-toed sloth. Most importantly, it is a chance to come away with the knowledge that you can make a difference to help protect bats and bat habitat.
Prior to the founding of OBC, Williams and Mies focused much of their studies at Eastern Michigan University on the federally endangered Indiana bat. Between findings in their research and the knowledge that nearly 40% of the 1,100 species of bats in the world are listed as either threatened or endangered due to habitat loss and pesticides, both Williams and Mies knew that educating the public was vital to helping protect bats around the world. This task was not an easy one however, for many people are fearful of bats. As with anything unknown, it is our tendency to fear what we do not understand. This is where OBC focuses its educational messages.
When asked how the staff at OBC dispels fears associated with bats, Director Rob Mies replied, “Many times it is as simple as people seeing the bats in person. When people see how cute they are and how important they are to the environment and the economy, they quickly become supporters of bat conservation.” It is this “in” that helps OBC to educate people that bats are absolutely crucial to helping control insect populations. The little brown and big brown bats, which are the most common in Michigan can eat nearly 600+ mosquitoes an hour and may also consume night flying moths and beetles, which are detrimental agricultural pests. As well, some species of bats pollinate numerous food-producing plants like bananas, mangos and agave and spread tree seeds within the tropical rainforest.
After learning of the ecological importance of bats through one of OBC’s award-winning live bat presentations, many people want to know how they can help bats. Williams and Mies offer a list of ideas to attract and/or provide habitat for bats including: putting up a bat house, planting a wildlife garden which will attract moths, reducing or eliminating pesticide use, and educating friends and family, to name a few. So what happens if you succeed at attracting bats and one of them ends up in your house? The best thing to do states Williams and Mies, is to “…simply open a door or window to allow the bat to leave.” If the bat is injured, sick or has come into contact with a person or pet, contact your local animal control to have it captured and tested for rabies, which is found very rarely in bats.
One of the most important facets of a functional “community” is teamwork. This is where OBC shines. They have developed working partnerships with many organizations, including Cranbrook Institute of Science, which hosts the Bat Zone and Critter Catchers, a local animal control company. The staff of OBC provides annual training and weekly updates to Critter Catchers employees to ensure bats are evicted from homes in a manner that allows for the best chance of survival. Critter Catchers is such a strong advocate of OBC that they sponsor public bat programs at nature centers around Southeast Michigan to help educate homeowners about the importance of bats. Other partnerships include working with wildlife rehabilitators and zoos around the nation to provide care for those bats that were orphaned or injured and deemed un-releasable to the wild. Many of these bats are housed at the Bat Zone and are utilized for educational programming.
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Another quality of an effective community is the ability of its members to be cognizant of the welfare of others. Executive Director, Kim Williams is currently pursuing her Educational Psychology doctorate, with an emphasis in Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD), which is the term that refers to the alleged trend that children are spending less time outdoors and more time indoors utilizing electronics. Potential side effects of NDD in children include behavioral problems, obesity, anxiety, and depression. When asked if she felt that many children suffer from this disorder, she replied, “Many kids today are either afraid of the outdoors or rarely given the chance to explore…….they are often fearful of wildlife.” She explained that OBC recognizes and addresses this issue by encouraging people to get outside and plant a wildlife garden or take a bat walk at dusk. These types of activities not only benefit bats, but also encourage outdoor play and exploration, which can help to keep kids physically active. Research has also shown that children exposed to the outdoors tend to develop a positive environmental ethic as adults.
The Organization for Bat Conservation is now operating in its twelfth year, and continues to draw audiences from schools, groups and families wanting to visit the Bat Zone at Cranbrook Institute of Science. They have already succeeded at reaching nearly 5 million people with their message of the ecological importance of bats through local presentations, books and the appearances on several television talk shows including The Today Show and The Ellen Degeneres Show. According to Rob Mies, “Education is the key to environmental protection.” Williams and Mies look to the future with goals of bringing more live bat educational programming to less affluent communities, creating a rainforest exhibit that teaches of the ecological interactions of a tropical rainforest community and the continued efforts to help protect the habitat of endangered bats in the world. When asked how the work at OBC has helped communities and the planet as a whole, Williams and Mies replied, “OBC works to motivate and empower people with the necessary information to make a change in their community to help bats and the environment.” It is visions like these that help to inspire us all to feel enthusiasm and inspiration to make a difference in our own communities, one small step, or creature at a time. Perhaps a place to start is to lay out your “Welcome” mat for the neighborhood bat.
Mandy Liddle is a naturalist and stay-at-home mom living in the lovely Frankenmuth countryside with her husband and son. She enjoys gardening, bird watching and appreciating all the free gifts nature has to offer. She can be reached by email at skellymoon@yahoo.com |
