Bats will be winging their way onto the radar screens of nature center visitors throughout southeastern Michigan over the next few months, thanks to a $1500 grant from Critter Catchers, Inc. The grant enables six area nature centers to host the Organization for Bat Conservation, who will be bring a handful of Bat Zone residents (live bats) for a close encounter with guests.

Visitors to the six participating nature centers will learn all about bat behavior, habitats, food sources and the benefits that these unique flying mammals bring to our own backyard habitat. A bat detector demonstration will educate the public on echolocation – the radar used to locate insects.

"Bats live right beside us in our daily lives, but due to their nocturnal habits, many people aren’t even aware of their presence until they are discovered flying inside their home” said David Kugler, president, Critter Catchers, Inc. “The goal of the grant was help people understand the benefits of bats, while giving back to the community that resides within our bat removal service territory.”

Based in Ortonville, Critter Catchers, Inc., (www.crittercatchersinc.com) specializes in performing humane bat removal and provides nuisance wildlife services to a wide array of wildlife, including bats, mice, moles, voles and more.

“The downturn in the Michigan economy has a direct impact on the funds available to non-profit organizations and nature center programs, said Rob Mies, director, Organization for Bat Conservation in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “We are excited to be able to offer our educational programs to the public located in SE Michigan. This grant funds programs that might not have been available during 2009 and we are thankful to the continued support from Critter Catchers.”

Participating nature centers hosting the OBC for bat education programs over the next few months include:

Howell Conference and Nature Center: 1005 Triangle Lake Road, Howell (June 18 at 7pm)

Seven Ponds Nature Center: 3854 Crawford Road, Dryden (June 27 at 2pm)

Sterling Heights Nature Center: 42700 Utica Road, Sterling Heights (Sept. 20 at 2pm)

E.L. Johnson Nature Center: 3325 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills (Sept. 26 at 2pm)

West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation: 4640 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield (Oct. 3 at 10am)

Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center: 4101 River Bends Drive, Shelby Township (Oct 3 at 2pm).

Interested visitors should contact individual nature centers for admission prices, location confirmation and any additional information. All dates, times and locations are subject to change.

About the Organization for Bat Conservation
The Organization for Bat Conservation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of bats and their habit through educational programs and collaborative conservation efforts. The Organization has the largest grass-roots bat conservation educational project in the United States. Each year, over 250,000 people attend a live bat program or visit the Bat Zone at Cranbrook Institute of Science.

About Critter Catchers, Inc.
Founded in 2005, the Ortonville, Mich.-based Critter Catchers, Inc. was formed by David Kugler, an Oakland University graduate holding a Bachelors of Science in Biology, and a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering from Wayne State University. The company provides wildlife control services in SE Michigan and specializes in humane bat removal. The company is affiliated with the Organization for Bat Conversation. Visit the Critter Catchers Website at www.crittercatchersinc.com.