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Pulling for Bats 2016

Pulling for Bats – Bat Week 2016 – Join the Challenge and Make a Difference for Bats!

We warmly invite you to join us for Bat Week 2016, an annual celebration dedicated to sharing the importance of those flying, furry mammals we love—and need—so much. We’re excited and you should be, too!

During Bat Week, October 25-31, we invite you to host an invasive plant pull to help improve habitat and food for bats and other wildlife. Bats need to eat lots of different insects to stay healthy. When invasive plants move in, they push out our native plants. Native plants support a huge variety of yummy insects; invasive plants don’t.” By hosting a “Pulling for Bats” event, you can keep your weed warriors engaged this fall and help out bats!

Things to Know

  • You can register your site as a “Pulling for Bats” location by registering online here. Your location will be listed on the website for the public to see and others may join you.
  • Please note that it is important for you to contact site managers at public locations like parks before organizing a group to pull invasive plants. Parks often have their own specific practices for eliminating invasives and would likely insist on being consulted.
  • Your event can occur any day/time during Bat Week, October 25-31, 2016
  • Download our free promotional flyer here –just add your event information
  • Pictures of your event can be posted to here
  • We are also providing a list of recommended invasive plants to consider pulling during your event. But, any invasive plant will do! Please be sure that you know how to recognize invasive plants before you begin your event.
  • After your event, please come back to our website and let us know how your event went. Click here to share your results!

Can’t host a weed pull?

No problem! You can be involved in #BatWeek in lots of other ways too. You could give an educational presentation at a local school to get kids interested in bats, throw a #BatWeek party at your local library or visitors center, host an outdoor event for families such as a Fall night hike—or anything that will help spread the word about bats. Be creative! Get involved! Be a bat champion!

We’re cheering you on, and providing great materials to help make your #BatWeek celebrations a success.


Suggested Invasive Plants of the Northeastern United States

Common Burdock (Arctium minus) – Fact Sheet

Bush Honeysuckles (Lonicera fragrantissima) – Fact Sheet and Wanted Poster

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolate) – Fact Sheet and Wanted Poster

Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) – Fact Sheet

Mile-a-Minute (Persicaria perfoliata) – Fact Sheet

Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea) – Fact Sheet

Suggested Invasive Plants of the Southeastern United States

Chinese/European Privet (Ligustrum sinense) – Fact Sheet

English Ivy (Hedera helix) – Fact Sheet

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolate) – Fact Sheet and Wanted Poster

Kudzu – (Pueraria montana) – Fact Sheet

Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiulatus) – Fact Sheet and Wanted Poster

Suggested Invasive Plants of the Western United States

Common Burdock (Arctium minus) – Fact Sheet

Chinese/European Privet (Ligustrum sinense) – Fact Sheet

English Ivy (Hedera helix) – Fact Sheet

Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum) – Fact Sheet

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolate) – Fact Sheet and Wanted Poster

Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale) – Fact Sheet

Kudzu – (Pueraria montana) – Fact Sheet

Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) – Fact Sheet