Selah Bat News
It's our Second Annual Bambergers' Baby Bat-a-thon Fundraiser!
Your support is needed for the bats and all the other amazing creatures at the Bamberger Ranch Preserve. You can help during our 2nd Annual Bambergers' Baby Bat-a-thon. It works like this:
- You pledge a monetary amount (such as 1/10 of a penny) for each "baby" bat.
- Send your pledge via e-mail to: selah@bambergerranch.org Put "Baby Bats Pledge" in the subject line.
- Boston University researchers will count all the bats during the first week of August.
- They will compare that August number with the count they completed in early July and determine the difference -- which can be inferred to be primarily baby bats.
- All participants will be notified via e-mail approximately September 3, 2010 of the documented number of "baby" bats.
- Send in your donation (tax-deductible) based on what you pledged.
- The first 10 e-mail pledges receive an official Bamberger Ranch Preserve "Chiroptorium" T-shirt when their donations are received. Pledge deadline is August 10, 2010.
HINTS about the possible number of baby bats: Researchers documented 40,000 total bats during their count on July 2, 2010, although most of us believe that because of sporadic flying behavior, this number was lower than what we believe is actually there. In August 2009, they estimated 44,407 baby bats were born in the Bamberger Chiroptorium. If there are 40,000 flying babies in August this year, your pledge of 1/10 of a penny per baby bat equates to a $40 donation.
REMEMBER - ALL DONATIONS TO SELAH BAMBERGER RANCH PRESERVE ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. All donations will be utilized for educational programs. Specifically, we would like to purchase 4 pieces of echolocation equipment that would help school children experience what it's like to be a bat (at $300 for each unit). Using an example of potentially 50,000 baby bats this year, some possible donation levels could be:
- 1/10th of a cent per baby = $50
- 1/5th of a cent per baby = $100
- ½ of a cent per baby = $250
- 1 cent per baby = $500
If there are more babies this year, the donation amounts above would be higher. If there are fewer than 50,000 babies this year, the donation amounts above would be lower.
But Wait! There's More!
Like jelly beans in a jar, guess the TOTAL number of bats that will be counted by Boston University researchers in August, and the closest guess will win a private bat emergence for 12 people, personally hosted by J. David Bamberger. You do not need to pledge a donation to win the jelly bean challenge. Just email us with your total number guess! Put "Best Bat Guess" in the subject line.
For several summers, we have hosted bat biologists from Boston University who conduct population research on-site at the Ranch, in conjunction with research at other area bat caves. They come to Selah the 1st weekend of every month the bats are in residence (May-Sept) and set up high-tech infrared cameras that pick up the body heat of each individual bat. Mexican Free-tailed Bats populate many limestone caves in Texas and most colonies are maternal. Babies are fully weaned and able to fly just five weeks after birth, so emergences usually double in size in late July & early August. For more information about the Bamberger Chiroptorium, visit our website Chiroptorium Page. Deadline to pledge: August 10, 2010. We will let you know of the results by September 3, 2010!
Bamberger Ranch Preserve is a non-profit organization whose mission focuses on land conservation and environmental education.
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