Little Brown Bat named "Birdie", Leslie Sturges

Don't miss your chance to see a native bat up close from the convenience of your living room. Join us for a great presentation on the only true flying mammal and learn what makes bats so successful. Did you know that almost 1 in every 5 mammal species is a bat? Virginia is home to 17 species of bats, including the tricolored bat, recently proposed for protection as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Leslie Sturges will share some of her favorite facts about bats, review the species native to our region, talk about bat conservation, and provide an update on the impact of white-nose syndrome among Virginia's bat population. As a special treat, she may even introduce us to one of her captive bats.

Leslie Sturges founded Bat Conservation & Rescue of Virginia (then known as The Save Lucy Campaign) to raise awareness of white-nose syndrome and its devastating impact on North American bats. The organization engages in conservation education, provides young people tools to effect change, and supports research and projects that protect bat populations. Over the past 20 years, she has cared for well over 1,000 bats and has maintained a colony of bats that visit schools and other venues to educate the public about bats and wildlife conservation. She previously worked at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park and Montgomery County Parks.