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This article was published on Tuesday, 26 March, 2024. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Bat Night is returning to Tatura this school holidays

Posted on Tuesday 26th of March, 2024,

RiverConnect, and the Cussen Park Advisory Committee are holding an interactive Bat Night event on Sunday 7 April from 5.00pm to 8.00pm at Cussen Park, Tatura.

Summary

Event: Bat Night returns to Tatura during the school holidays.
Date and Time: Sunday 7 April from 5.00pm to 8.00pm at Cussen Park.
Activities: Learn about bats' crucial ecological roles, enjoy family-friendly activities and see local bats up close.
Special Guests: Guest speakers Rodney Van Der Ree and Lisa Godinho will introduce the local bat species, including the EPBC-listed Grey-headed Flying Foxes.

Read the full story below.

Learn more about these fascinating flying mammals and the important role they play in our ecosystems. Hear how they catch their prey, the variety of sizes and species and how they are similar to humans.

Included in the Activities in the Park program, Bat Night is a free family friendly event where children will enjoy bat related activities and view local bats up close. The Lions Club of Tatura will be cooking up a free BBQ and Goulburn Murray Landcare Network will be running kids’ activities to keep the whole family entertained.

Bats are incredibly important as pollinators and seed dispersers and we have both Microbats and Megabats, otherwise known as Flying Foxes, Microbats in particular can eat half their body weight in insects each night, so are excellent natural pest controllers, eating mosquitoes, flies, moths and ants.

RiverConnect’s Project Officer, Alison White encouraged residents and visitors to come along to learn about and see these incredible mammals up close.

“We are excited to welcome knowledgeable guest speakers Rodney Van Der Ree and Lisa Godinho to introduce us to our local bats. Tatura is home to a population of Grey-headed Flying Foxes which are EPBC listed as Vulnerable in Australia. We also have a number of smaller microbats that call our region home,” she said.

“This is a fantastic free event for your family, bound to be an educational but fun activity for all.”

All activities commence at the Cussen Park rotunda at the Ross Street entrance.

Although this is a free event, bookings must be made for catering purposes via https://events.humanitix.com/bat-night-2024 or by calling 5832 9700.