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It seems everyone’s getting in on the new Batman movie hype. Even Prairie State Park near Mindenmines, Mo.
The park is hosting “Going Batty”, a program designed to teach people about the bats that live at the park and to make a sunset trip to search for bats.
The program will start at 7:30 p.m. today
Guests are invited to bring a flashlight for the bat hunt after an hour-long presentation about the flying mammals.
Elizabeth Drake, the naturalist in charge of the program, got the idea for the program after interning at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
“People have done some research out here [at Prairie State Park] and have even trapped a few bats out here,” Drake said. “Most people don’t think we have bats out here because we’re the prairie, but we do. Most people expect bats to be around caves. But not all bats use caves. Some will use wooded areas for roosting.”
Although Drake did say there aren’t a great number of bats at the site, she did say there is a bat that tends to fly around a nearby strip pit lake around 9 p.m. She also said last week she found five bats one night that seemed to be just stopping by for the night.
Drake said bats are an interesting animal because of their unique characteristics.
“Echolocation is interesting,” Drake said. “We couldn’t hear that until they invented a bat detector. Echolocation is something no other animal has. It’s really unique. Bats are also important pollinators. They help limit the insect population, too.”
But the bat program isn’t the only program Prairie State Park has in the next few weeks.
There’s also Osage on the Prairie, a day camp planned for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 26 and a repeat program August 1.
The program will allow students to get their Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites Explorer patch and certificate, while also teaching about the history of the Osage Indians and how they survived on the prairie.
Participants will learn about plants and animals used on the prairie, will learn about how twine was made from local plants, and will participate in a practice hunt.
The day camp is an annual event, but the theme changes every year. Last year the theme was decomposers, and the year before that the theme was frogs. This year’s theme came from a local child.
“We had someone who really wanted to know about them and how they survived on the prairie,” said Cyndi Cogbill, Prairie State Park naturalist. “They wanted to know how they got fuel, got food and made shelters without the deep forests. We try to show that there are lots of things you could use around here, like using plants for food, medicine and for dyes.”
Participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch, drinking water, repellent, sunscreen and a T-shirt. Participants are also encouraged to wear long pants, socks and sturdy shoes.
The day camp is aimed at those age 6 or older and is limited to 40 participants each session.
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
It seems everyone’s getting in on the new Batman movie hype. Even Prairie State Park near Mindenmines, Mo.
The park is hosting “Going Batty”, a program designed to teach people about the bats that live at the park and to make a sunset trip to search for bats.
The program will start at 7:30 p.m. today
Guests are invited to bring a flashlight for the bat hunt after an hour-long presentation about the flying mammals.
Elizabeth Drake, the naturalist in charge of the program, got the idea for the program after interning at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
“People have done some research out here [at Prairie State Park] and have even trapped a few bats out here,” Drake said. “Most people don’t think we have bats out here because we’re the prairie, but we do. Most people expect bats to be around caves. But not all bats use caves. Some will use wooded areas for roosting.”
Although Drake did say there aren’t a great number of bats at the site, she did say there is a bat that tends to fly around a nearby strip pit lake around 9 p.m. She also said last week she found five bats one night that seemed to be just stopping by for the night.
Drake said bats are an interesting animal because of their unique characteristics.
“Echolocation is interesting,” Drake said. “We couldn’t hear that until they invented a bat detector. Echolocation is something no other animal has. It’s really unique. Bats are also important pollinators. They help limit the insect population, too.”
But the bat program isn’t the only program Prairie State Park has in the next few weeks.
There’s also Osage on the Prairie, a day camp planned for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 26 and a repeat program August 1.
The program will allow students to get their Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites Explorer patch and certificate, while also teaching about the history of the Osage Indians and how they survived on the prairie.
Participants will learn about plants and animals used on the prairie, will learn about how twine was made from local plants, and will participate in a practice hunt.
The day camp is an annual event, but the theme changes every year. Last year the theme was decomposers, and the year before that the theme was frogs. This year’s theme came from a local child.
“We had someone who really wanted to know about them and how they survived on the prairie,” said Cyndi Cogbill, Prairie State Park naturalist. “They wanted to know how they got fuel, got food and made shelters without the deep forests. We try to show that there are lots of things you could use around here, like using plants for food, medicine and for dyes.”
Participants are encouraged to bring a sack lunch, drinking water, repellent, sunscreen and a T-shirt. Participants are also encouraged to wear long pants, socks and sturdy shoes.
The day camp is aimed at those age 6 or older and is limited to 40 participants each session.
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
