Post by Sharon Faulkner on Oct 27, 2006 19:29:29 GMT -5
science and technology:
Austin, Texas: Bat Capital of the World
by Jessica Cejnar
October 27, 2006
With 1.5 million bats roosting under Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge, the capital of Texas is possibly the battiest city in the country. On any summer night, the world’s largest urban colony of Mexican free-tailed bats pour out from under the bridge in a constant stream for 30 to 45 minutes and flood the night sky in search of insects.
Settling under the bridge soon after it was built in the mid ‘80s, the bats have become a fixture in the Austin landscape and a major tourist draw. Darrel Webber, known to diners and coworkers as the “Bat Master,” is a host at TGI Friday’s in Austin. The restaurant he works at is located right next to the bridge and, along with the Radisson Hotel it’s situated in, offers patio seating for bat watchers. “[On good] nights our patio holds 100 people,” he said, adding that many people sign a waiting list for a glimpse of the bats. There are bat barges, bat dining cruises, and several grassy areas facing the bridge. The Radisson even offers a special bat package, which guarantees guests a seat on the Friday’s patio.
Austin may be batty now, but it wasn’t always so. Carolyn Kelly, an administrative assistant and receptionist for Bat Conservation International, said people wanted to get rid of the bats when the creatures first moved in. “[Our] main objective [was to educate the public] on the good that bats do,” Kelly said. “They decrease flying insects and help farmers by eating corn moths and beetles and insects that destroy crops.”
Bat Conservation International does school outreach, utilizing video and slides to teach students about bats. They also work with the U.S. and Mexican governments to keep people from entering caves and mines and disturbing roosting bats.
It may be unusual to have a restaurant near 1.5 million bats, but Webber said the bats stay over the river and don’t fly high enough for bat droppings to be a concern. When hearing about the bats in the J, he said they don’t usually poop until they’re in flight. Bat guano is pretty noxious, Webber said. If the bats in the J were pooping before taking off we “would be smelling it.”
Article
Austin, Texas: Bat Capital of the World
by Jessica Cejnar
October 27, 2006
With 1.5 million bats roosting under Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge, the capital of Texas is possibly the battiest city in the country. On any summer night, the world’s largest urban colony of Mexican free-tailed bats pour out from under the bridge in a constant stream for 30 to 45 minutes and flood the night sky in search of insects.
Settling under the bridge soon after it was built in the mid ‘80s, the bats have become a fixture in the Austin landscape and a major tourist draw. Darrel Webber, known to diners and coworkers as the “Bat Master,” is a host at TGI Friday’s in Austin. The restaurant he works at is located right next to the bridge and, along with the Radisson Hotel it’s situated in, offers patio seating for bat watchers. “[On good] nights our patio holds 100 people,” he said, adding that many people sign a waiting list for a glimpse of the bats. There are bat barges, bat dining cruises, and several grassy areas facing the bridge. The Radisson even offers a special bat package, which guarantees guests a seat on the Friday’s patio.
Austin may be batty now, but it wasn’t always so. Carolyn Kelly, an administrative assistant and receptionist for Bat Conservation International, said people wanted to get rid of the bats when the creatures first moved in. “[Our] main objective [was to educate the public] on the good that bats do,” Kelly said. “They decrease flying insects and help farmers by eating corn moths and beetles and insects that destroy crops.”
Bat Conservation International does school outreach, utilizing video and slides to teach students about bats. They also work with the U.S. and Mexican governments to keep people from entering caves and mines and disturbing roosting bats.
It may be unusual to have a restaurant near 1.5 million bats, but Webber said the bats stay over the river and don’t fly high enough for bat droppings to be a concern. When hearing about the bats in the J, he said they don’t usually poop until they’re in flight. Bat guano is pretty noxious, Webber said. If the bats in the J were pooping before taking off we “would be smelling it.”
Article