Bat Walk at Mission Trails Regional Park

BATS! Those strange, mysterious creatures of the night. Join Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) volunteer Trail Guides for a twilight interpretive walk to learn about bats, the amazing and often misunderstood nighttime aerialists.

Nine native species call MTRP home, including the largest and smallest in North America and the world’s fastest animal! Warm summertime evenings are ideal times to find these nocturnal locals as they begin foraging for insects starting around sunset. Our Bat Ambassadors will explain their unique bodies and special adaptations that make bats such remarkable animals, the only mammals that can fly. Using an ultrasonic microphone and a tablet, You will be able to “hear” and identify their high frequency echolocation calls used to navigate and find and catch prey in complete darkness.

This walk will meet at the parking lot at the corner of Bushy Hill Drive and Father Junípero Serra Trail, across from Kumeyaay Lake Campground. The address is Two Father Junipero Serra Trail and you can also look up directions to the Kumeyaay Lake Campground which is across the street from the meet up spot. Don't forget to bring along a flashlight and an extra layer of clothing -- it often cools down after the sun sets.

Questions? Please contact Ranger Chris Axtmann at [email protected].

Photo: Townsend's big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) in flight after drinking from a small stock trough in the Laguna Mountains east of San Diego

Photo credit: Don Endicott

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