February 22, 2005 - "Batman" to Visit the Oxbow Eco-Center

Visit the Oxbow Eco-Center after dark and be prepared to go a little 'batty.' This Friday February 25th the Oxbow will host its monthly night-time event, Eco-Friday, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Ken Gioeli, wildlife agent of the St. Lucie County Cooperative Extension Service, will give an enlightening program about our flying mammal --- the bat. Gioeli, better known as 'batman,' will lead visitors on a hike in search of these nocturnal creatures.

Gioeli uses sophisticated 'bat sonar equipment' that tranforms the high-pitched frequencies of bats into lower frequencies that we can hear. It's sure to be a fun and educational evening where participants learn about bat biology and this special creature's niche in the Florida landscape. Since 1993, Ken Gioeli has served as the University of Florida's Natural Resources Extension Agent for St. Lucie County. He has a Master of Agriculture degree from the University of Florida and specializes in tropical biodiversity. Ken studied vampire bats and other bat species in Costa Rica through a cooperative degree program offered by the University Florida, the University of Costa Rica, Duke University and the Organization for Tropical Studies.

Participants are encouraged to bring flashlights as long as they have a red lens or translucent red tape or plastic over the white lens. This serves to protect everyone’s night vision during the hike. Eco-Fridays are free and open to the public. Reservations are only necessary for large groups (8 or more). For more information call Wren Underwood at (772) 785-5842 or send an e-mail to underwoe@stlucieco.gov.