Public Bat Night & Bat Management Event - Woodward, PA August 22, 2026

Saturday August 22, 2026 - All events listed below are free of charge.  Join Bat Conservation and Management and colleagues from around Pennsylvania for a full day of batting. The evening activities include a very rare opportunity to observe a real wildlife survey in action, and speak with professional biologists. Plan to stay late, as the bat activity actually peaks around midnight at the cave this time of year. No hot food is provided, please plan accordingly and bring sandwiches & snacks. Tentative schedule below subject to change. Event will occur rain or shine. 

Woodward Cave and Campground; 147 Woodward Cave Drive, Woodward PA 16882,

All Day Pavilion Events (behind Woodward Cave Gift Shop)

3:00-8:30— Being a Bat Biologist -  Lori Chenger & Bat Conservation and Management. This activity is intended to show Junior Rangers the process of being a field biologist. Participants will go through the process of removing their bat capture and collecting data on that bat. **No live bats are used in this activity. ** https://batmanagement.com/ 

• Bat toys for net demos
• Setting 4m practice net with bat toys
• Stickers “honorary bat biologist” for removing bat toys from nets & processing bat toys
• Location- Pavilion

3:00-6:00— Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation and Live Ambassador Bats-  Stephanie Stronsick, Founder and President. What is the rehabilitation process? Learn what measures are taken to get these bats healthy enough to be released back to the wild. You will have an opportunity to safely see some -live bats- up close that are currently under their care. https://pabatrehab.org/   Location- Pavilion

4:00-8:30— Bat Crafts and Games -  Jennifer Brumbaugh-McClain & Lincoln Caverns. Join Lincoln Caverns and build your own Bat Kazoo, Recycled Can Bats, Bat Bookmarks, and Bat Fortune Tellers and more. Play Bat Species Match Game in-between interactive group games of Bat Echolocation, Year in the Life of a Bat, and the much anticipated Bat Hula Hoop Game.   **No live bats are used in this activity. ** https://lincolncaverns.com/

Recreation Hall Events

3:00— Bats of Pennsylvania  Jennifer Brumbaugh-McClain, Coordinator at Lincoln Caverns. Pennsylvania is home to at least 6 bat species year-round and at least another 5 that occur in the summer. Learn something about each of these and gain an appreciation for these masters of the night. https://lincolncaverns.com/  Location-Recreation Hall

4:00— Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation  Stephanie Stronsick, Founder and President. There are so many threats that face bats in nature. Each year nonprofit PABCR takes care of numerous bats, some are adults, some are tiny newborns. What is the rehabilitation process? Learn what measures are taken to get these bats healthy enough to be released back to the wild. You will have an opportunity to see some live bats that are currently under their care. https://pabatrehab.org/   Location- Recreation Hall

5:00— Chasing the Night Flyers  Keith Christenson, Biologist. Join Keith for a discussion of bat field work from across the World. Location- Recreation Hall

6:00— Summer Bat Sightings and Sound  John Chenger, Founder and President of Bat Conservation and Management. Learn why some bats are in buildings, rocks, trees, and leaves in the summer. Learn how & why biologists eavesdrop on bats speaking. Learn a little about exaggerated concerns about bats in a house, how to get them safely out, and how to provide a space space for them.  https://batmanagement.com/  Location-  Recreation Hall

7:00— Winter Bats in Caves, Mines, & Tunnels  Chris Sanders, Founder and President of Sanders Environmental and owner of Woodward Cave. Join Chris on a virtual visit underground and learn why 6 species of Pennsylvania’s bats rely on these spaces for survival. https://batgate.com/ and https://woodwardcave.com/  Location-  Recreation Hall

8:00— Worldwide Importance of Bats  Keith Christenson, Biologist. Of the ~1,500 kinds of bats around the world, Keith will dazzle us by highlighting some of the species that benefit humans in unexpected and sometimes eye-opening ways. Location- Recreation Hall

Night Activities- Special Events

8:00-10:00— Hayride for Bat Calls-  Climb aboard our SonoWagon outfitted with high-tech bat listening microphones and take a slow ride around the campground “fishing” for bats. Watch as bat calls appear on the monitors and are identified. A limited number of kid-friendly bat detectors are available to eavesdrop Rides leave about every 30 minutes, take more than one ride because different species of bats visit all night long! Location- Gift Shop Parking Lot

8:00-Midnight—  Live Bat Capture In Hand- join us near the Recreation Hall to watch bats as they are being captured at the cave entrance. We live trap for data collection and assessment of their overall health, then are released unharmed. This type of work allows us to better manage the bats of Woodward Cave.Location-  Recreation Hall Porch