Inquisitive Naturalist First Wednesday of every month from 7:00 - 8:30 pm Nature Discovery Center in Russ Pitman Park, 7112 Newcastle, Bellaire, TX 77401 Donations accepted. Light refreshments are served. Bats: The Only Flying Mammals with Cullen Geiselman January 9 at 7pm 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 diversity of feeding strategies and life histories is a testament to the adaptability of these nocturnal animals. Unfortunately, most things that people think that they know about bats are not even true. For instance, bats are not blind; they do not get entangled in human hair; and they do not “carry” rabies. During her lecture, Cullen will give a brief summary of the world’s bat species, their habitats, and life histories, dispel common bat myths, as well as discuss the 38 bat species found in Texas - highlighting the 8 or so that call Houston home. Cullen Geiselman received a B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University. She began her career studying bats in 1998 when she joined the staff of Bat Conservation International (BCI), an Austin-based non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of bats and their habitats worldwide. During her tenure with BCI, 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. Cullen received her doctorate from Columbia University’s Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology while working with botanist Scott A. Mori of The NY Botanical Garden investigating the role of bats in dispersing seeds and pollinating plants in South American rain forests. She currently divides her time on philanthropic and bat conservation pursuits in Houston and abroad. For more information contact: Eric Duran at 713-667-6550 or eduran@naturediscoverycenter.org or visit our website http://www.naturediscoverycenter.org/lectures-workshops. Photo Credit: Patrick Chatelet Donations welcome.