The CU Heritage Center will present a slideshow lecture and guided tour on "Bats in the Old Main Belfry" on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 6 p.m. in Old Main Chapel on the CU-Boulder campus.
Rick Adams, president of the Boulder chapter of the Colorado Bat Society, will discuss the bats that live in the attic of Old Main. The event will move outside to view bat exit holes and, with luck, bats in flight.
The event is free and open to the public. A reception with light refreshments will take place at 7 p.m. before the guided walk at dusk.
"Cloaked by darkness, the lives of bats are mostly hidden from human view," Adams said. "However, bats make up almost 25 percent of all living mammal species and the diversity of roles they play in ecosystems is unmatched by most other groups."
Bats have been living in the Old Main belfry almost since the university was founded in 1876. Highlighting the habits and contributions of these longtime residents is a natural fit for the Heritage Center.
"We have talked with the people working with the bats and we are fascinated with what they are learning," said Nancy Lee Miller, assistant director of the CU Heritage Center.
As part of its effort to reduce pesticide use on campus, CU's Facilities Management department has worked to ensure that the bats remain in Old Main because they help control insects.
"Events like the one we have planned with the Bat Society are a crucial component in educating the community to the benefits of bats, as well as dispelling some of the myths surrounding them," said Ed von Bleichert, CU's environmental operations manager.
The event is sponsored by the CU Heritage Center, Colorado Bat Society and CU's Facilities Management department.
The CU Heritage Center, located on the third floor of Old Main, is the university's history museum and is sponsored by the CU-Boulder Alumni Association.
For information call (303) 492-6329.