The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust and Midcoast Conservancy will host a live webinar about bats in Maine conducted by Jan Collins, Maine Master Naturalist, at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 23.

This free event is great for naturalists 10 and older, according to a news release from the membership-supported land trusts based in Bath.

Maine Master Naturalist Jan Collins to give a presentation on bats on July 23 via Zoom. Photo courtesy of the Kennebec Estuary Land Trust

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, coauthor of “Forty Nature Walks in Southern Maine, “and a 2016 graduate of the Maine Master Naturalist 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 cover 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.

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. The third lecture of the series is by Philip DeMaynadier who will discuss Dragonflies on Thursday, Aug. 27.

For more information or to register, visit kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events or call 207-442-8400.

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