Lake learning and family fun

Eight new houses were built around Twin Lakes in just one day…. But this unusual building boom was sponsored by Twin Lakes Conservancy (TLC), and the new houses were built for BATS!

For its annual Family Day celebration on September 23, TLC brought families together to learn about bats and other creatures living in and around our lakes. Mother Nature provided our classroom. Eight families (including 13 parents, grandparents, and friends, and 13 children ranging in age from infancy to 13) scavenged the shoreline for evidence of these creatures.

A deer carcass near the shoreline provided an impromptu study in anatomy, the uses of antlers, predator-prey relationships, and the most common causes of death in deer.
We also caught crickets, counted geese, discussed the causes and effects of our receding lake shoreline, held earthworms, listened for sandhill cranes, found frogs underneath boats, chased minnows, and generally enjoyed getting messy examining the abundance of life on our shoreline.

After a cook-out luncheon, we introduced the subject of bats and the way in which they contribute to the lake ecosystem. We tried to dispel some of the myths surrounding bats, and to emphasize the important role they can play in controlling mosquitoes. Each family constructed a bat house from a prepared kit. Laughter and the rhythmic sound of hammers concluded our event. Each child took home a booklet in which to record his or her observations of life on our lakes.

"Our second Family Day was a great success. This kind of event helps us build a community of young people who understand lake ecology and care about all its components," TLC President Gretchen Miller stated. "Having fun together, and learning about the complexity of our lake ecosystem, are key goals for the future preservation of Twin Lakes."