Join OVLC at the historic Ventura River Steelhead Preserve to explore the bats of Southern California!
PRESENTATION: "Bats of Southern California: Diversity, Ecology, and Conservation at Home"
Saturday, July 26
6:00-7:00 pm
FILM: Bat Boy
Saturday, July 26
7:00-7:45 pm
FIELD TRIP: "Bat Mist Netting Night: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Field Research"
(SOLD OUT)
Saturday, July 26
8:00-11:00 pm
***Attendance on the field trip is limited to 15 participants. All attendees must confirm in advance that they can bring a N95 mask and will be required to wear it when bats are in hand.***
Curious about what bats are in our area or what the linkage is between bats and tequila? Join OVLC for a presentation by Dr. Joseph Curti, bat expert and UCLA postdoctoral researcher, as he discusses the diversity of bat species living in Southern California and the many vital ecosystem services they provide. Attendees will learn about their morphology, natural history, threats, conservation, and ways to implement bat friendly solutions at home.
Following the talk we will screen Bat Boy, a narrative film directed by Aaron Lemle (who will be joining us for the film presentation) about a young man on the autism spectrum and his epic quest to discover the cause of the recent disappearance of bats that live near his home. The runtime for the film is approximately 19 minutes and the content is suitable for people of all ages.
Following the lecture and film screeing, Dr. Curti will lead a field demonstration at the Ventura River Steelhead Preserve, where participants may have the opportunity to witness field research on wild bats up close. All attendees who observe will be required to abide by federal guidelines to ensure animal safety, including wearing a N95 mask at all times. All bats will be handled by permitted biologists, and there will be no opportunity for the public to handle bats.
***Please note, space for the field outing is limited to 15 participants, and N95 masks are required for bat handling observations. Participants will not handle live bats.***
Joseph Curti, Ph.D. (he/they) is a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science. Joey’s current research focuses on the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on bat community composition in urban areas across California. Joey received his Ph.D. in 2024 from the UCLA Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department, where he worked with statewide resource managers on a variety of conservation genomics projects. These included a project aimed at evaluating the impact of roadways in Los Angeles to California quail (Callipepla californica) gene flow and rangewide landscape genomics of the Yuma myotis bat (Myotis yumanensis). Joey has been working with bats since 2015 and has worked on a variety of projects including radio tracking big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) in the California Central Valley, mist netting and acoustic surveys of bats on the California Channel Islands, and acoustic surveys of bats for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
Aaron Lemle is an independent film producer and director based in LA. He recently graduated from the directing MFA program at UCLA where he wrote and directed four films including “Bat Boy”, an Alfred P. Sloan funded film, and “The Beautiful Colors of Jeremy Sicile-Kira” that was nominated for a student academy award, broadcast on PBS POV, and played in notable festivals including San Diego International Film Festival, Palm Springs ShortFest, KCET Fine Cut and San Fransisco Doc Fest. Prior to UCLA, he was the lead producer on the Emmy-award winning PBS show, Articulate with Jim Cotter and helped guide the show from a fledgling local show to a nationally distributed series. Aaron went to college for neuroscience but quickly discovered he was better suited to study the world with a camera rather than from a lab bench. Nonetheless, he has maintained a scientific curiosity and pursuit of excellence that informs all of his work. The stories that excite him most typically deal with science and psychology, whether these are stories about the environment, disability or overcoming difference. Underneath all of his stories are themes of hope and resilience.