‘Batty’ evening postponed

THE Crocworld Conservation Centre will focus on bat conservation during its first night talk on November 9.

Guest speaker will be Wendy White of the Bat Interest Group of KwaZulu-Natal (Bats KZN). Like the other monthly lectures that the centre has hosted since the beginning of the year, the goal will be to educate the public about the flora and fauna of the South Coast.

Wendy, who has more than 14 years of extensive experience with bats, has been an active member of Bats KZN since 2002. As well as her expertise in fieldwork and rehabilitation, her knowledge of South African bats and her experience with a wide variety of bat detectors and their software make her invaluable to the group.

After receiving training at the world’s primary bat care and rehabilitation centres in the USA (Batworld, Mineral Wells and the Lubbee Foundation, Gainesville), Wendy returned to South Africa to take part in major field studies throughout KwaZulu-Natal. These include the Isimangaliso Wetland Park Rare and Threatened Species study, the Environmental Impact Assessments for Nkandla Forest and King Shaka Airport, and several smaller studies in association with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

She has been a member of the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Honorary Officer Corps since 2004, has written many magazine articles on bats and co-authored several papers and books on the subject. Wendy is actively involved in training bat field workers throughout South Africa. During her Crocworld talk, she will introduce her audience to the fascinating world of bats and will discuss common problems of human-bat interaction.

Expert Stewart Angus will be on hand to give advice about making and installing bat boxes. The evening will be particularly hands-on, with other members of Bats KZN, equipped with bat detectors, available to take groups of guests around the centre’s beautiful grounds.

The detectors will allow guests to listen to bats flying above them and to learn how to interpret the sounds that they hear. The real guests of honour for this special evening will be the bats themselves; Wendy will be bringing several rehabilitated bats used to assist with educational work along with her.

Both fruit and insectivorous bats play crucial roles in maintaining a healthy natural environment. The former assist with the reproduction of indigenous fruiting trees, while the latter keep pest insects in check. South Africa is home to 57 species of bats, and Crocworld Conservation Centre is home to 20 of them.

The batty evening will kick off at 4.30pm with registration. The talk will begin at 5pm and will last for an hour after which questions from the audience will be addressed. The practical session begins at 6.30pm. Guests will be treated to two hours of bat netting and interaction with Wendy’s bats, during which they will also be invited to participate in the evening’s bring and braai.

To book contact Nolean Allun at crocworld@cbl.co.za, or call on 039 9761103, or 083 6549651.