Some folks are quick to dismiss bats as simply ‘scary’ (and the association with Halloween doesn’t help things). But during Bat Appreciation Month, consider their valuable contributions to the ecosystem. Bats around the world help to control bug populations (including agricultural pests), pollinate important plants, and disperse seeds–helping to regenerate lands that have been overharvested or otherwise damaged. In fact, what’s truly scary is how much we’d miss bats if they were gone. In North America, a disease called white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats since it was identified in 2006–and scientists are working hard to find a way to help bats recover. One easy way to help bats is to build or buy a bat box for your property, and provide them with a safe space to roost.
A species worth defending
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Black grouses lekking
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Modica, Sicily, Italy
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Languid life on the Lakes
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A notorious advocate for women
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Traffic jam on the caribou highway
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Acadia transformed
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Aprils full moon
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These laurels are hardy
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A wassailing we go
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Wild garlic in bloom at Hainich National Park, Germany
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Who doesn’t love a ‘Puppy’?
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Welcome to El Cervantino
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Snow aglow in central Japan
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The migrating monarchs of Michoacán
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Earth seen from the International Space Station
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Cheetah mother and cub
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The desert blooms
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International Beaver Day
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It’s showtime for a precious crop
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The moai you know
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Rethymno, Crete, Greece
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Burrowing owls
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Bournemouth beach huts
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Cloudy with a chance of enlightenment
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The Tour de France begins
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Goliath heron in Kruger National Park, South Africa
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Gray seal pup, Norfolk, England
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A wonder in winter
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This grizzly has Napping Day down
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The first ascent