Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight and they have radiated into almost every habitat on earth. They are responsible for eating millions of night-flying insects, dispersing seeds in rain forests, and pollinating plants in deserts. Their great diverwity of feeding strategies is a testament to the adaptability of these nocturnal animals.

During her evening lecture, Cullen Ceiselman, PhD will give a brief summary of the world's 1,400+ bat species, their habitats, and life histories, dispel common bat myths as well as discuss the 11 bat species found in the Houston area. Afterwards, we will go on a "bat walk" at an Audubon sanctuary or even in your neighborhood to spotlight and detect bats using an ultrasonic bat detector. Alternatively, we can visit Waugh Street Bridge over Buffalo Bayou, the home of 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats that emerge at dusk to feed on insects over the greater Houston area.

Cullen Geiselman began her career studying bats in 1998 when she joined the staff of Bat Conservation International (BCI), where she taught bat research and land management workshops in Arizona, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, led natural history tours to Belize, Kenya, and Brazil, developed educational materials for children and adults, as well as presented numerous formal and informal lectures across the US. In an effort to learn more about bats and conservation methods, she entered graduate school at Columbia University in 2003. There she worked with botanist Scott Mori of the New York Botanical Garden investigating the role of bats in seed dispersal and pollination in lowland rainforests of South America. During this time she spent two years collecting data in an isolated research station in French Guiana and coauthored a book entitled Seed Dispersal by Bats in the Neotropics. In May 2010 she received her doctorate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Columbia University. Cullen continues her work with bats by serving as chair of the board of Bat Conservation International, collaborating with students in Africa and Latin America, and hosting the online Bat Eco-Interactions database.

Date to be coordinated with Cullen Geiselman. Expires in October 2023.