Join us to uncover the hidden nightlife of Ojai's bats and bugs!
Presentation: "Nightlife in Nature: Exploring Ojai's Bats and Bugs"
Friday, August 16
5:30-7 pm
Ojai Valley Women's Club
Field Trip: "Bat Mist Netting and Insect Blacklighting Demonstration"
Friday, August 16
8-11 pm
Twin Peaks Ranch
***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.***
Explore the bats and insects of Southern California in a two-part lecture led by UCLA graduate students Joseph Curti and Graham Montgomery. Joseph will discuss the diversity, natural history, and conservation of bats in the region, introducing you to local species and the research methods used to study them. Graham will then guide you through the insect biodiversity of Southern California, offering insights into the wide variety of species that inhabit the area. This lecture is a great opportunity to learn more about the region's unique bats and bugs.
Following the lecture, Joseph and Graham will lead a field demonstration at Twin Peaks Ranch. Joseph will provide a mist netting demonstration with the possibility of viewing wild caught bats. Graham will simultaneously demonstrate blacklighting, observing insects attracted to lights at night. We will learn about the species that come in, go over how to make your own blacklighting set-up, and cover macro-photography tips and tricks to help you document the incredibly diverse insect fauna in our area.
***Please note, space for the field outing is limited to 10 participants, and N95 masks are required for bat handling observations. Participants will not handle live bats.***
Joseph Curti is a 5th year Ph.D. Candidate in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). For his research, Joseph uses whole genome sequencing to answer conservation questions about several North American species, including the California quail (Callipepla californica), the Yuma myotis bat (Myotis yumanensis), and the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii). For this work, Joseph collaborates regularly with state and federal agencies including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the US Fish and Wildlife, and the National Park Service.
Graham Montgomery is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at UCLA, where he studies insect declines and their effects on insectivorous birds. He is a broadly-trained entomologist and ornithologist whose research focuses on ecological monitoring, meta-analysis, and using historical resurvey data to answer present-day questions. Other interests include community science (especially iNaturalist), teaching field courses, and identification & taxonomy of barklice (Pscoptera).