Bat Night returns May 19th! (from Ward 3 Councilmember Karin Uhlich’s newsletter)

Back by popular demand, the Rillito River Project hosts the 5th Annual Bat Night, this time in the spring to mark the arrival of our nocturnal neighbors for their summer stay in Tucson. Free and open to the public. Welcome the Bats to Tucson Saturday, May 19th at 6:00pm in the Rillito riverbed just east of the Campbell Avenue Bridge.

This year, 140 students from Rio Vista Elementary School, led by nationally acclaimed choreographer Barbea Williams, will entertain the crowd with their very own Bat Dance and teach us the Bat Dance too! At sunset, watch 45,000 Mexican Free-Tailed bats fly out from under the Campbell Avenue Bridge to forage for food. Be a part of this growing Tucson tradition, the marquee event of the nonprofit Rillito River Project, dedicated to raising awareness of local environmental and ecological issues through art, performance, lectures and special events.

Also speaking will be Bat expert Dr. Yar Petryszyn and entomologist “Bug Man” Carl Olson.

For more info visit www.rillitoriverproject.org.

My husband and I were at that bridge on Campbell Avenue, just south of River Rd. and St. Philip’s Plaza last August, and we thought that about 100,000 bats flew out into the western sky. And we also encountered a young foot long snake on the walkway near the bridge, so beware and definitely wear shoes.

Try counting the bats on Bat Night, as it is an amazing experience to see thousands and thousands of them come out from under that bridge to forage for food (insects) at dusk.