Bat Week

From batweek.org: "Bat Week is an international, annual celebration designed to raise awareness about the need for bat conservation. Bats are amazing creatures that are vital to the health of our natural world and economy. Although we may not always see them, bats are hard at work all around the world each night - eating tons of insects, pollinating flowers, and spreading seeds that grow new plants and trees."

The Montana State Library and Fish, Wildlife, and Parks partner to help libraries around the state celebrate Bat Week to raise awareness and educate communities about the importance of bats. See below for current and previous Bat Week resources!

Bat Week 2022

Teach your community about the important role that bats play in the world! The State Library and Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has put together a resource packet together with bat facts, crafts, book lists, and take-home puzzles, mazes, and more for you to share with your library patrons! If you have any questions, please email Amelea Kim at akim@mt.gov

• Bat Week Resources Packet 2022 (last updated 8/18/22)

The State Library will also be providing Bat Week Packages to libraries around the state who sign up. Please use the form below to request a package. Requests are honored first come, first served

• 2022 Bat Week Package Form

There is also a Bat Trunk available for libraries to borrow and use. Please see the MSL Trunk Program page for information on how to borrow a trunk, and what the expectations for usage are. Please see the links below for information on trunk contents:

• The Great Bat Migration Obstacle Course - PowerPoint File
• Night Friends: Bats of the Americas Online Activity Guide
• Bat Conservation International Bat Masks

Bat Week Archive

• Bat Week 2021: MSL And FWP distributed 37 Bat Week packages to libraries all around Montana, in addition to providing the Bat Resources packet to interested libraries.
  • Bat Week Resources 2021
• Bat Week 2020: MSL and FWP distributed the Bat Week Resources packet to interested libraries. No packages were given due to COVID. 
• Bat Week 2019: MSL and FWP distributed 47 Bat Week packages to libraries all around Montana to help them celebrate Bat Week with their communities. MSL also provided a Bat Week Resource list for participants.
• Bat Week 2018: The Montana State Library partnered with Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to participate in Bat Week 2018, an "annual, international celebration of the role of bats in nature." FWP and MSL provided Bat Week packages to interested libraries across Montana to help promote and teach Montanans about the importance of this creature in the world, and many libraries enjoyed doing bat-themed activities with their communities!