Hello, you.
And you....
and you...
you....
and YOU--
Thanks for coming!
Over 700 people came to our fourth annual public bat release event on Sunday, and the evening was an absolutely great time. The temperature was ideal, the breeze was mild, the bats were hungry.
As promised, we had tables of educational activities for children, including coloring their own bat masks and talking about bat facts. When asked what we could improve upon for next year, seven-year-old Aderyn said she wished she could have touched a bat. (Which unfortunately, isn't an option for liability reasons. Our bats are generally docile and sweet in our hands, but we don't want to scare them!)
A similar question was posed to siblings Morgan and Jack, who simply squealed in bat-speak and flapped their wings.
(Note stealth photo-bomber Eli flapping his own wings in the background!)
It was wonderful to see families enjoying themselves
everywhere...
and fun to hear the crowd break into applause whenever a bat
found his wings. That was a bat release first!
Thanks for sharing one of our favorite nights of the year. We hope to see you all again many times before next year's bat release!
The long-awaited, long-anticipated bat release is coming up this weekend! It looks like winds will be favorable and temperatures will be warm enough, so it's time to let our over-wintered little guys take flight.
WHEN?
This coming Sunday, April 28th, 2013. The event opens to the public at 6:30 PM.
WHERE?
Meet us on the lawn of the Joslyn Art Museum. Picnic suppers are welcome! Please leave your pets at home, though.
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
At 6:30 we'll begin with tables of fun, educational activities for kids, including some opportunities to meet some sweet bats face-to-face! (They will be kept in enclosures until the release begins.)
At 8, our Executive Director, Laura Stastny, will give a very short presentation and make some remarks. The bats will take wing directly after! You'll be able to see them hop into the air from our volunteers' practiced hands right in front of you.
COMMON CONCERNS:
Why downtown Omaha? I live right near there. Are the bats going to come live in my house?
We release our bats
at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha each year. This is a fabulous venue for
several reasons — First, it allows you to come out and see the release and to
learn more about bats. Second, it is close to home for many of the bats. Most of
our bats come from eastern Omaha and there is good evidence to support that the
bats "go home" when released. This means when we release downtown, we're
giving most of the bats the shortest trip home. If you live in the neighborhood,
don't worry — the bats aren't going to make a new roost in your house if you
don't have bats there already. They are going to go back to their home roost as
soon as they can.
Don't all bats have rabies?
No! In fact, less than 1/2
of 1% of all bats carry rabies. Additionally, one of the great benefits to keeping
these bats all winter is that our experienced wildlife rehabilitators
can assure the bats
we release are healthy and don't have any problems that would prevent their
release.
Although very few bats carry rabies, it is always critical that if you
or someone you know is bit by any wild animal, that you report it to your doctor
and the county health department immediately. In Omaha and surrounding areas,
the Nebraska Humane Society is also available to help, and Nebraska Wildlife Rehab staff is willing to answer your questions as well. For reasonable
information about bats and rabies, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/bats/
Will the bats land on me or my child?
These big brown bats have ONE desire, and that is to get into the air and eat some bugs! During the release we ask
the crowd to stand back and volunteers help keep a perimeter so the bats have
room to fly. If you are at the release and asked to step back, it is so the
bats have room and to minimize the chance that one lands on you.
Sometimes they do struggle with taking flight after not flying all winter, however. In the unlikely event a bat lands on you or your child, we ask that you stay calm,
raise your hand, and stand still, and a volunteer will come over and get
it. Do not touch it. Volunteers will be in the immediate vicinity to help, as we are all keeping an eye out for bats having difficulty taking wing.
We believe this event is the only one of its kind in the United States-- an unusual event where the public is invited to watch such a large number of bats released back into the wild. We at Nebraska Wildlife Rehab are extremely proud to share this wonderful learning opportunity with you, and to serve as ambassadors to these unique and beneficial mammals.
Bat
release is free and open to the public. Please invite your friends! Hope to see you Sunday night!
Think the bat release is awesome? So do we! We want to keep bringing this to you every year, so Nebraska Wildlife Rehab is trying to raise $150,000.00 to help Great Plains wildlife, including bats, right here in the Heartland. Please help us! Visit our fundraising page and donate now!
We will be having our annual Volunteer Potluck on Saturday, April 24th at 3 PM. Whether you've just started volunteering with us this year or have persevered with us through the seasons, all Nebraska Wildlife Rehab volunteers are welcome to attend.
Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 3 PM
Gifford Farm
700 Camp Gifford Road
Bellevue, Nebraska
This is a great opportunity to meet and get to know other volunteers, network, share tips and ideas, and just have a good time together. Please bring your favorite potluck dish to share!
Looking forward to seeing all of you!
Hello everyone,
Below is a collection of links to news video clips about the bat release:
http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/89551162.html
http://www.ketv.com/video/23019059/
http://www.ketv.com/video/23019059/
WOW! Thank you so much for coming to our spring bat release and showing those batties such love! There were around 250 people out at Joslyn tonight to watch over 200 of our overwintered bats fly free, and we gathered over $500 in donations. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Stay tuned for video clips of our news spots-- they will be posted as I get them!
Hello Everyone! Unfortunately the sustained winds are too high for a good bat release tonight so we are going to postpone by one day. Tomorrow night's forecast is perfect, so I have no doubt that it will go off tomorrow night without a hitch. We're sorry for the delay, and hope that you can all join us tomorrow! Here are the new particulars (note the earlier time): What: Bat Release Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 When: 7:45 Where: Joslyn Art Museum Parking Lot - North Side Free-Will Donation ($5 Requested) Please be there at 7:45 as there are a few instructions to go over before the actual release starts at approximately 7:50. The bats tend to go quickly, so we should wrap things up by 8:30. Thank you all for your patience, and sorry for the delay! Hope to see you there!
Hello Everyone! We are planning on releasing the bats Tuesday night. We have over 250 eager little guys ready to fly! Here are the particulars: What: Bat Release Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 When: 8 PM Where: Joslyn Art Museum Parking Lot - North Side Free-Will Donation ($5 Requested) Please be there at 8 or beforehand, as the bats tend to go quickly. We should wrap things up by 8:45. Please note that if the winds get too strong, we may have to postpone until Wednesday night. If that happens, I will send another e-mail and we will post the notice on Facebook no later than 4:00 PM on Tuesday. Hope to see you there!
Our presentation last night at First United Methodist was a great success! Thanks so very much to everyone who came and showed such interest and respect for wildlife. We heard a lot of excellent questions and even better stories! Thanks also to the Sierra Club for hosting us and being so generous, bringing refreshments and kind words alike. Everyone should check out the Sierra Club's event list here, because there are some fantastic things coming up that I know I definitely won't miss.
Until next time....thanks for all you do.
When: Thursday, March 25th from 7:00-8:30pm
Where: First United Methodist Church (69th and Cass)
Join the Sierra Club as Nebraska Wildlife Rehab speaker Laura Stastny gives tips on how we can more peacefully and humanely coexist with native wildlife. We will learn about the natural behavior of local wildlife and how to use this knowledge to avoid conflicts. The presentation will include some live bats and possibly bunnies or baby squirrels depending on what animals happen to come into care this month. Plenty of pictures of past rescue animals will be shown. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.
was a big success! Thank you to everyone who came out to see the program and meet our little bat friends. It was a pleasure to meet you!
We hope you enjoy your Halloween. Thanks for all you do!
Tomorrow evening we are holding a very special presentation about the bats of Nebraska: The Amazing World of Bats! Please join us tomorrow, October 28th at 6 PM in the auditorium of the Nebraska Humane Society at 90th and Fort. This program will help dispel myths about bats as well as build an understanding of these wonderful, intelligent little creatures. You might even get to meet a real bat, and just in time for Halloween! This family-friendly program is free to the public, although good-will donations are definitely appreciated.
Thanks for your support, and hope to see you tomorrow!
Thanks to all of you who came to Nebraska Furniture Mart in support of NWRI this weekend, we absolutely destroyed our goal ($1000) and raised over $2100! This will set us up beautifully for the winter. Thank you so much!
We have another upcoming event to announce: The Amazing World of Bats, a presentation about the bats of Nebraska....and just in time for Halloween! Join us on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 6 PM in the auditorium at the Nebraska Humane Society on 90th and Fort in Omaha. This program will help dispel myths and build understanding of these delightful animals. You might even get to meet a real bat! This program is suitable for the entire family and is free to the public. Goodwill donations are appreciated, to benefit NWRI's efforts in our community!
Once again, thank you for all your support!
Hello fellow wildlife-lovers,
Community Support Day is coming up at Nebraska Furniture Mart on Saturday, October 24th from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Nebraska Wildlife Rehab has a table, and we're hoping to raise some serious cash to help with our winter expenses. To help NWRI raise money through this event, here’s what we ask:
Buy a coupon book from NWRI for $10. NWRI keeps your donation, and you get a coupon from The Mart for $10 off a $10 purchase to use on the 24th! This means that you donate your money to a great cause, and get the same amount back on your purchase from The Mart! There are also tons of other great coupons in the book, including one for 10% Off Your Total Furniture Purchase, a Free Standard Bed Frame with a Mattress Set Purchase of $499 and up, and 60% Off Any In-Stock Area Rug Purchase. There are also some Hot Buys, like $6.99 For a Ronco 6-piece Steak Knife Set, 20% Off Any Table or Floor Lamp, and $9.99 for a 5' x 7' Carpet (Area Rug).
To buy a book, call or e-mail Laura (960-4366 or lastastny@yahoo.com ) or Kaci (926-9008 or kaci.caldwell@nfm.com ) and we’ll get one (or many!) to you ASAP! This is a fantastic way to donate to NWRI and get something in return. Our goal is to sell at least 100 coupon books in the next two weeks. Please help!
Thanks for all you do. :D
|
Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc. needs a home of our own to care for more animals and provide hands-on educational programs for the students of Nebraska. WE NEED YOUR HELP to make our dream a reality! Please donate today! Interested in learning more about "A Home of Our Own", click here.
Looking for more information from Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc.? Scan through our blog archives below or search for a specific topic!
Help spread the word ... tell your friends and family about Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc. on Twitter and Facebook!
Need more Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc. news? Become an NWRI fan on Facebook today!
|
