To humans, bats are essentially harmless. But to insects, bats are spooky. A single little brown bat, which is lighter than a pencil and barely as big as a hand, can eat over 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour! They also eat garden pests like moths and beetles. Some insects flee at the very sound of a bat’s echolocation.

These helpful critters are struggling in the face of widespread disease and habitat loss, but humans can help by providing a safe home for them. In return, bat neighbors will happily protect gardens and yards from unwanted insects.

Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 to 11 a.m. Midcoast Conservancy’s AmeriCorps member Skye Cahoon will lead a “Bat Bash Hike” at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson to meet the eight bat species that live here in Maine. Though all of Maine’s bat friends have migrated away to warmer climates or are hibernating underground by now, the group will still have fun learning why the only flying mammal is special and fascinating.

During the 1.5-mile hike, participants will explore the areas that bats call home in the spring and summer months, discuss why bats are important to both the forest and humans, and admire photos of their adorable faces and fluffy bodies!

The rain date for this event is Oct. 23, 10 a.m. to noon. To learn more and to register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events-list/bat-bash-hike.

Given all of bats’ positive attributes, it makes sense to invite them to one’s home! Cahoon will lead a bat box building workshop on Saturday, Nov. 5, from noon to 3 p.m., also at Hidden Valley Nature Center.

Participants will work together to build single-chambered bat boxes that can house 50-75 little brown bats each. Everyone will take home a bat box and an informational handout that includes suggestions on where to hang the box. All materials and tools will be provided, except for the final touch of black exterior paint and hanging hardware. This is a beginner friendly event- no previous carpentry experience required.

Any additional donation on top of the $20 registration fee will be given to Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation, the organization that provided the instructions for making and hanging the boxes. MTBC uses a combination of science and photography to save bats by teaching people to live harmoniously with them in order to protect public health, economies, and ecosystems worldwide. Midcoast Conservancy thanks Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation for supplying the blueprints, bat box research data, and hanging instructions.

To learn more and to register, go to https://www.midcoastconservancy.org/events-list/bat-box-build-day.

Midcoast Conservancy is a vibrant regional land trust that works to protect vital lands and waters on a scale that matters and to inspire wonder and action on behalf of all species and the Earth. The organization works throughout the Sheepscot River, Medomak River, and Damariscotta Lake watersheds. Midcoast Conservancy manages over 14,000 acres in 55 preserves and 100 miles of trails, including Hidden Valley, a preserve with cabin and outdoor recreation equipment rentals and a low-impact forestry program. Community members can get involved in the organization’s work as volunteers with water quality monitoring, habitat restoration, fish passage projects, forestry and oyster farming or outdoor recreation and education. For more information, go to www.midcoastconservancy.org or call (207) 389-5150.