Things got a little wild—in a good way—during Buena Vista County Conservation Board’s latest Naturalist Lunch Box Program last Friday.
Held at Storm Lake Marina, the hour-long event featured Naturalist Katie Struss and drew in a crowd of 15 curious minds—all eager to learn about Iowa’s nighttime flyers: bats.
Struss, celebrating nearly a decade of leading the Lunch Box Program, brought her signature energy to the program.
Struss cheered as the group dove into the world of bats, complete with crafts and hands-on experiences.
Participants examined preserved bats up close—yes, clean and touchable—while Struss unraveled bat biology. Did you know Iowa hosts nine bat species? Three hibernate, while six migrate away by Halloween. Common culprits in buildings? Big brown and little brown bats.
And here’s something bite-sized for your mosquito concerns: those little brown bats can devour up to 4,000 mosquitoes a day. That’s bug-busting with wings.
Struss reminded everyone that while bats can carry rabies, fewer than half of 1 percent ever do.
And she means that.
Next up in the Buena Vista County Conservation Board’s summer series includes a Nature Sprouts presentation on butterflies this morning (Tuesday, July 22) and lunch box programs on worms this Friday (July 25) and dinosaurs next Friday, Aug. 1, all at Storm Lake Marina. And don’t miss Nature Trivia, a new offering on Tuesday, July 29, at the Buena Vista County Park near Peterson, and the big Fall Fun Day on Oct. 11, featuring live birds and snakes, trick-or-treating, face painting, nature hikes and games, and a raptor release, also at the Buena Vista County Park near Peterson.
For more details, check out Buena Vista County Conservation on Facebook at facebook.com/bvcountyconservation or visit the organization’s website at www.bvcountyparks.com.
