Audubon Community Nature Center Executive Director Aaron Sidder holds a California myotis during White-nose Syndrome sampling in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah. Sidder, along with two other bat researchers, will discuss bat conservation during “An Evening With The Bats” on Friday, July 17. Photo by Jackson Bain, Bat Conservation International

The Audubon Community Nature Center will host “An Evening With The Bats” from 8:15 to 10:15 p.m. Friday, July 17.

The evening is an opportunity to learn about bats in the region and at Audubon, threats to bats in New York and around the world, and how area residents can contribute to bat conservation in their backyard.

The indoor portion of the evening will feature presentations by bat biologist Dr. Jonathan Townsend, Aaron Sidder, ACNC executive director, and Allison Tilburg, State University at Fredonia bat researcher. After the sun sets, the event will move outside for a bat walk along Audubon’s trails to look for bats and identify them using a mobile acoustic monitor.

A Fredonia resident, Townsend works full-time with Environmental Design and Research, a consulting firm, and co-owns Royal Fern Nursery with his wife, Jessica. He is also the volunteer executive director for Buffalo Bat Habitat, a nonprofit dedicated to bat habitat conservation and restoration in Western New York.

Before joining Audubon, Sidder served as ecology and compliance coordinator at Bat Conservation International, where he coordinated multi-agency bat habitat restoration projects around the western United States.

Tilburg is a Jamestown native currently working on her master’s degree in biology at SUNY Fredonia. Her research is focused on bat behavior and communication.

Those attending should be prepared to be outside after dark and bring a flashlight.

The cost is $8, $6 for Nature Center members and children ages 6 to 15. Reservations are appreciated and can be made by calling 716-569-2345 or online at AudubonCNC.org/evening-with-bats. Walk-ins are welcome.