Because the March 10 Primetimers program will be the same day as the second of this year’s Lenten Recitals, to allow for full enjoyment of both opportunities, the Primetimers March 10 program will begin at 10 am with lunch at 11.
Presenting the March 10 program will be Diana Foss, Coordinator of the Houston Area Bat Team and Urban Wildlife Biologist of the Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Wildlife Diversity Program, who will tell us about “Our Neighborhood Bats.”
An estimated 300,000 Mexican free-tailed bats live under Houston’s Waugh Street Bridge, and she has been researching and managing the colony since 2003. In this endeavor she works with a dedicated and skilled group of trained volunteers, The Houston Area Bat Team.
On a bat-viewing platform at the southeast corner of Waugh Drive and Allen Parkway, Bat Team members give “Bat Chats” from the first Friday in March to the last Friday in October, starting 30 minutes before sunset. Then the bats emerge from under the bridge in search of food — up to 2/3 of their bodyweight — going up to 100 miles round trip each evening. Research has demonstrated that these bats can save farmers up to two applications of pesticides per year.
This breed of bats is sometimes called “guano bats” for their prolific production of this natural fertilizer. This guano also is a potential treasure trove for biotechnologists for detoxifying industrial wastes and producing natural insecticides. Stratified guano deposits in free-tail bat caves have been used to monitor environmental pollution and investigate prehistoric climatic changes.
Free-tailed bats have supported several American war efforts as well — from the manufacture of gun powder during the American Civil War to potential use as carriers of small incendiary bombs in WWII.
Learn more about our neighborhood bats, their benefits, and other fun facts at the March 10 meeting in the Activity Center. The meeting is open to all free of charge. To enjoy the $10 lunch with the group, RSVP by Tuesday March 8, to primetimers@stpaulshouston.org or by calling 713-528-0527.