Join Transition Habitat Conservancy in welcoming our event presenters Charles Hood, and Dr. José Gabriel Martínez-Fonseca in celebrating the creatures of the night!

This is a family-friendly event for all ages. We will be conducting a Bat Walk to look for bats on Portal Ridge Wildlife Preserve. Also, join us for:

• “The Wonderful World of Bats” presentation

• Moth and insects surveys

• “Blacklighting” for scorpions

• Viewing the craters of the moon with a telescope - and learn about nature after dark!

About our presenters:

Poet and naturalist Charles Hood lives in the Antelope Valley. His book A Salad Only the Devil Would Eat: the Joy of Ugly Nature has won multiple awards, and his book Wild Sonoma has a foreword by Jane Goodall. New books include Nocturnalia: Nature in the Western Night and a book about the best hikes in California. Charles has seen over 1,000 species of mammals in the wild.

José Gabriel Martínez-Fonseca divides his time between Nicaragua and Arizona, where he recently completed a Ph.D. in bat ecology. José is the co-author of Sea Turtles to Sidewinders: A Guide to the Most Fascinating Reptiles and Amphibians of the West. He also has written a book about the snakes of Nicaragua, and with Charles, is co-author of a new book, Nocturnalia: Nature in the Western Night. José’s specialty is taking photographs of bats in flight and he has many book and magazine credits.

Registration is not necessary for this event. If you would like to register however, you may do so via this button

Seating is limited and bringing portable seating is recommended if you wish. The activities will take place at night. Parking and a porta-potty are available at the Preserve. Please bring snacks, water, and anything you might need to be comfortable outdoors on a summer evening.

Directions to “Portal Ridge Wildlife Preserve” are available here by clicking on (map) near the top of this page as well as Google Maps by typing in the above name.