Location: Mammoth Cave National Park
Visitor Center: Kids Activities
Amphitheater: Professional Presentations
Historic Entrance (6PM): Live Bat Viewing and Survey with BCM
Join us for Bat Day at Mammoth Cave National Park Saturday September 5 for a full day celebrating the incredible world of bats. Engage with our expert speakers on various topics, from protecting bat habitats in national parks to the science behind successful conservation strategies. It's an excellent opportunity for all ages to learn and connect with our winged friends!
Bat researchers and biologists will discuss bat biology, monitoring techniques, and provide on-site demonstrations of how they capture, evaluate, and record a bat’s health. Events and activities are all day and finish with a live bat capture session until 9 p.m. CDT.
“Bat Night is a great experience for visitors of all ages to get out and learn how important bats are to Mammoth Cave and our ecosystem,” said park Superintendent Barclay Trimble. “It is not often that we have an opportunity to see these amazing creatures up close with bat experts and biologists on hand to share their knowledge.”
Bat Night will kick off at the visitor center where visitors can complete a Being a Bat Biologist Junior Ranger activity with bat biologist and Ball State University professor Dr. Tim Carter and some of his students. Artist, Emili Ryan, will also be on hand to provide face painting for our younger visitors. Activities at the visitor center will last until 3 p.m.
At 10 am presentations by bat experts will begin at the outdoor amphitheater. Dr. Merlin Tuttle of Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation is among featured speakers. Visitors are welcome to listen to additional speakers such as Bat Speak – Identifying Bats by How They Communicate by Professor of Biological Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt and lead developer of the Sonobat Bat Call Analysis Software Joe Szewczak, Chasing the Night Flyers – Bat Stories from the Field by biologist Keith Christenson, and Bats of Mammoth Cave National Park and How We Study Them by biologist Dr. Tim Carter. A full agenda with additional speakers and times will be available soon.
John Chenger of Bat Conservation and Management organizes the live bat data collection which will take place from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. on the River Styx Trail at the Historic Entrance to Mammoth Cave. Bat researchers and biologists will demonstrate how different tools are used to monitor bat movements and health. They will use night vision cameras, infrared thermal cameras, live acoustic monitors, and mist netting to identify bats exiting the cave for the evening. The survey is part of an ongoing long term bat study now over 15 years.
All Bat Night events are free and do not require reservations. Participants are advised to bring a small flashlight to illuminate the pathways to and from the Mammoth Cave Historic Entrance. Bat Night activities will be cancelled in the case of severe weather.
Bat Night is made possible by support from Friends of Mammoth Cave National Park who work in cooperation with the National Park Service to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and cultural resources, and the visitor experience of Mammoth Cave National Park.
For a complete schedule of events, presenters, and Bat Night activities, visit the Bat Night page on the Mammoth Cave National Park website. If you plan to participate in all Bat Day activities and wish to also tour Mammoth Cave, consider overnighting nearby and reserving one of the many tour options Friday or Sunday, but reservations are strongly suggested.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2026
10:00 AM- Protecting Wildlife Habitat through Cave Gates - David Foster, President/CEO, American Cave Conservation Association and Jay Pruitt, Operations Manager& Collections Curator, Hidden River Cave, Horse Cave, KY. Join Dave and Jay to gain a better understanding the role of gating caves and mines plays in wildlife management. Location- Amphitheater
11:00 AM- The Secret Lives of Bats, Dr. Merlin Tuttle, Founder of Merlin Tuttle Bat Conservation. Join us for an inspiring presentation from a globally recognized expert on Bats!
No group of mammals has been more misunderstood, needlessly feared, or intensely persecuted than
bats. Relying on a powerful combination of science, field knowledge, and photography, Merlin Tuttle's
Bat Conservation (MTBC) is helping save millions of bats, protecting public health, economies and
worldwide ecosystems by teaching people to live harmoniously with bats through Merlin’s one-of-a-
kind experience. MTBC provides the world's finest bat photo gallery and the most up-to-date responses
to exaggerated disease speculation about bats.
Learn about the impacts and value of these flying mammals. Discover fun bat facts, how they live in the
wild and have adapted around the world and why we need them for a healthy planet. Location- Amphitheater
12:00PM- Bat Speak- Dr. Joe Szewczak, Professor of Zoology, Cal Poly Humboldt and Founder/Designer of Sonobat Bat Call Software. Join Dr. Szewczak for a discussion on how field biologist study bats using bat detectors and the uniqueness of each species call. Location- Amphitheater
1:00PM- Bat Conservation and Park Management Challenges, Carrie Allison, Regional Wildlife Biologist, Science & Natural Resource Management, Southeast Regional Office of the National Park Service- Join Carrie for a discussion about the challenges associated with balancing bat conservation with park responsibilities, such as visitor safety, recreational opportunities, and protection/conservation of other natural resources. Location- Amphitheater
1:00-3:00PM- Being A Bat Biologist, Dr. Tim Carter and Ball State Wildlife Biology Class- Join Dr. Carter and Ball State Wildlife Biology students to see what real life field work with bats is like. Learn how to extract bats from mist nets and collect data on different bats, just as field biologist do when studying bats to determine overall health and diversity of species. Location- Visitor Center Back Porch
1:00-3:00PM- Face Painting by Lily and Company- Stop by for face painting with Ms. Lily Key and Company. Location- Visitor Center Back Porch
1:00-3:00- Bat Education and Crafting- Audrey Whisnant, Bat Education AmeriCorps Member, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Join Ms. Audrey for fun with bats and crafts. Location- Visitor Center Back Porch
1:00-3:00PM-Wing Biomechanics and How Injury Influence Flight” Join Dr. Michael Granatosky, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, to learn more about how bat wings function and how bats adapt after injury. This hands-on activity gives you the opportunity to experience how a bat’s wing functions. Location- Visitor Center Back Porch
2:00PM- Conserving Imperiled Bats- Karah Jaffe, Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Services-Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office. Location- Amphitheater- Join U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologist Karah Jaffe to explore how science guides the recovery of Kentucky's imperiled bats. From the Indiana bat to the Virginia big-eared bat, each species has its own habitat needs, threats, and recovery story. Learn how researchers study bats in the field and how that research directly shapes real conservation actions towards recovery. - Location- Amphitheater
3:00PM- Restoration and Recovery of Saltpeter Cave Carter Caves State Park, KY- Jim Kennedy- Founder/Owner of Kennedy Above and Below Ground, Join Jim for the story of restoration and recovery of Saltpeter Cave at Carter Caves State Park, KY. A once thriving Indiana bat site decimated by saltpeter mining, through efforts of several organizations and volunteers worked year’s to properly restore the habitat, since this projects completion, Indiana bats are once again thriving at this site. Location-Amphitheater
4:00PM-Chasing the Night Flyers- Keith Christenson, Biologist- Join Keith for a discussion on field research from around the World. Location- Amphitheater
5:00PM-Bats of Mammoth Cave National Park and How We Study Them- Dr. Tim Carter, Ball State University, Department Chair of the Department of Biology, Director of Field Stations and Environmental Education Center, Professor of Biology. Join Dr. Carter at the Amphitheater for a discussion on Mammoth Cave bats and how researchers study them on the Park. Location- Amphitheater
6:00PM- Masters of Movement: The Biomechanics of Bats- Michael Granatosky, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Bats are the world's only flying mammals, yet they accomplish this extraordinary feat using the same basic bones, muscles, and tendons found in our own arms and hands. In this visually engaging presentation, we'll explore the fascinating science behind how bats fly, climb, crawl, and maneuver through their world. Using high-speed videos and cutting-edge research, discover how these remarkable animals achieve some of the most impressive forms of movement in the animal kingdom and gain a new appreciation for the biomechanics that make bats such exceptional aerial athletes. Location- Amphitheater
7:00-9:00PM- Bats in Hand- John Chenger, President of Bat Conservation and Management; Steve Thomas, Network Program Manager, Cumberland Piedmont Inventory and Monitoring; Rick Toomey, Cave Specialist Mammoth Cave National Park. Join us near the Historic Entrance as researchers capture bats, collect data and assess the overall health and diversity of bats at Mammoth Cave National Park. This type of work allows the Park to better manage the bats at Mammoth Cave National Park. Four data collection tables will be set up to allow visitors to see how bats are handled and what data is collected. **Visitors are reminded to please maintain a minimum distance of 6’ from data tables. Access into the entrance where the netting is taking place will not be permitted during this time for safety reasons. ** Location- Historic Entrance
Public Bat Day & Evening Bat Capture Event - Mammoth Cave KY, Sept 5
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