As the crisp autumn air sets in and Halloween approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the creatures that often symbolize this spooky season—bats. But instead of fearing them, this year, we’re celebrating their importance to our environment.
In May 2023, Mendel Cohen and Zoe Smolinski, two Oakland Mills High School students, teamed up with the Oakland Mills Interfaith Green Team, a group trained through Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake’s Faithful Green Leaders Training Program, to bring their inspiring vision to life: supporting, sustaining, and increasing the local bat population. Their project aimed to create suitable habitats through the establishment of a native garden and the installation of bat houses at the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center. By promoting a healthy bat community, they sought to balance the ecosystem, enhance natural pest control, and ultimately increase biodiversity and environmental well-being.
This student-driven project began as their capstone for the Youth Climate Institute chapter and quickly evolved into a collaboration between students, educators, community members, and environmental experts. Mendel and Zoe recruited volunteers, gathered support from the community, and, with guidance from Dr. Edwin Gould—a retired zoo curator—and funding from the Howard County Office of Community Sustainability, led the effort to build and install twelve bat houses. These houses are now new homes for bats in the Oakland Mills Village area.
The project’s objective was twofold:
- The native garden would boost biodiversity and ecological balance by attracting a variety of wildlife, including pollinators like bees and butterflies.
- The addition of bat houses would contribute to the conservation of threatened bat species, such as the endangered Little Brown Bat, which plays a critical role in Maryland’s ecosystems.
With the guidance of experts like Dr. Edwin Gould, the project followed several key steps:
- Consulting Experts: Myself, Hans Plugge, and Dr. Gould, a retired professor and zoo curator, helped develop an action plan and advised on best practices to attract bats to the area.
- Surveying the Area: For five weeks, they conducted baseline surveys to determine the bat population and identify optimal spots for the native garden and bat houses.
- Establishing a Native Garden: They selected plants that would attract bats' food sources and other beneficial pollinators.
- Building Bat Houses: With the help of volunteers, they constructed 12 multi-chambered bat houses, providing safe, adaptable habitats for bats.
- Installation: Three bat houses were installed at the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center using a bucket truck, while the remaining nine were distributed throughout the community.
This project exemplifies the power of students taking the lead, rallying volunteers, and collaborating with the community to make a meaningful environmental impact. By nurturing a bat-friendly environment, Mendel and Zoe not only helped the local bat population but also advanced the broader mission of environmental stewardship.
Bats, often misunderstood as symbols of Halloween fright, play a vital role in our ecosystem. They’re natural pest controllers, helping to keep insect populations in check, which is why this project is so important. Not only do these houses offer safe shelter for bats, but they also encourage biodiversity and support the delicate balance of our local environment.
Special thanks to Mendel, Zoe, the volunteers, and everyone who helped bring this student-led project to life. As the days grow shorter and we embrace the Halloween spirit, let’s remember that the bats we sometimes fear are actually guardians of our ecosystem—working in the dark, just like us, to protect our environment. Together, we’ve built not just bat houses, but a community united in stewardship.
Happy Halloween, and here’s to a more bat-friendly future!
If you want to learn more about the students' project or have questions, you can contact Hans Plugge at [email protected]
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