In May BCI hosted a unique gathering. Our first-ever Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) workshop brought together professionals from across the southwestern U.S. who are involved in education, conservation, and/or research concerning large colonies of this species.

Participants shared findings from recent free-tail research and discussed the literature and educational methods used at each of their interpretive sites. We came away with a unified educational message as well as a strong network for future collaboration. We also got to see real free-tails--millions of them. Our meeting site, Bracken Cave, offered the perfect after-dinner entertainment as the bats swirled from the mouth of the cave out over Central Texas.

The workshop was a terrific success, and we hope to hold more in the future with a more extensive list of participants.

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Janet Tyburec, BCI's Education Programs Director, speaks to workshop attendees at Bracken Cave.