What animals come to mind when you think of “cute and cuddly?” My guess is that bats are not at the top of that list, perhaps not even on it. Bats have been demonized for ages now and it’s about time we shine some positive light on these flying furry friends. These hand-winged flapping mammals provide a plethora of ecosystem services to us that perhaps fly under the radar in our everyday lives. Ask yourself these questions? Do you like tequila or agave syrup? Do you like chocolate or chewing gum? How about mosquitos and other insect pests? Well, bats are one of the main pollinators of the agave cactus, they are the number one seed disperser of the Chicle (pronounced chee-clay) Tree, and in groups, they can eat several tons of insects, including the main predator of cocoa, overnight!

If you want to help bats, you can! Set up a bat house in your backyard or help us continue to protect San Vicente Redwoods and the Bryne-Milliron Forest. We see them flying around there from time to time.

And as always, happy trails and naturalist wonders from all of us at the Land Trust!

Bat box and photo by Michael Ready