The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust and Midcoast Conservancy invite the public to learn about the lives of Bats! Join Jan Collins, Maine Master Naturalist, for a live webinar on Thursday, July 23 at 6 p.m. to learn about her studies on bats in Maine. This free event is great for naturalists 10 years old and up!

Jan Collins is a 26-year veteran high school science teacher, a former interpretive specialist for the Appalachian Mountain Club, a two-time Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, co-author of “Forty Nature Walks in Southern Maine,” and a 2016 graduate of the Maine Master Naturalist (MMN) program. Her presentation on “Maine Bats - On the Path to Extinction?” was her capstone project for the MMN program. She is a native of Maine and lives with her husband Irving Faunce on their blueberry farm in Wilton.

Maine Bats - On the Path to Extinction? will introduce Maine's eight native bat species little brown bat (ME endangered), long-eared bat (ME endangered and federally threatened), small-footed bat (ME threatened), tri-colored bat, hoary bat, silver-haired bat, and eastern red bat. The life history of bats, biology, myths and threats to their continued existence will be discussed. If you used to spend summer evenings watching the swooping and diving of bats, but have not seen one in years, you are not alone.

Registrants will receive a Zoom link to the web-based lecture following their registration and again before the event. For more information or to register, visit www.kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events/2020/7/23/maine-creatures-great-amp-small-bats-on-zoom or call (207) 442-8400. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions in the registration link and the chat box during the meeting.

This talk is the second in the “Maine Creatures Great & Small” series co-hosted by KELT and Midcoast Conservancy this summer. We encourage you to also mark your calendars for the third lecture of the series as Philip DeMaynadier discusses Dragonflies on Thursday, August 27. For more information, visit www.kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events or call (207) 442-8400. FMI about Midcoast Conservancy, visit www.midcoastconservancy.org or call (207) 389-5150.