Bats are an interesting group of native wildlife because they're the only mammals that actually fly.
The arrival of warm weather means I can enjoy a different view in the sky as twilight approaches.
In my neighborhood that means I enjoy watching some bats hunting overhead or skimming the surface of a nearby lake.
Bats are fascinating to watch while there's still enough light to see them.
They're out all night, weather permitting.
I was at a nature festival in the Panhandle a few years ago on a nature adventure after dark and was offered a chance to use night-vision goggles to watch bats flying above a pine forest.
Bats are an interesting group of native wildlife because they're the only mammals that actually fly. Flying squirrels can glide for only short distances.
Today in Florida they are also a group of protected species.
Most non-game species in Florida have some protection, but I learned recently that state wildlife officials have specifically listed bats in categories similar to gopher tortoises and other native species whose numbers and habitats have been dwindling with the onslaught of development.
That is, it is now illegal to kill or harm bats in Florida.
One Florida bat species, the Florida bonneted bat, is also classified as a federal endangered species.
The Center for Biological Diversity, Tropical Audubon Society and the North American Butterfly Association of South Florida recently filed suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, alleging the agency had not designated critical habitat to protect this species, whose habitat is primarily in South Florida.
However, in 2014, biologists found a roost in a tree cavity at Avon Park Air Force Range.
Some ways people may inadvertently injure or kill bats is by over-trimming palm trees — that kind of trimming isn't particularly good for the palms, either — or disturbing their roosting sites. Bats also use tree cavities as roosting sites, so another way to help bats and other wildlife is to keep mature trees with cavities.
If you discover bats in your attic, they must be humanely removed under state law and can be removed only between Aug. 15 and April 15. This protects bats while they are raising their young.
The best strategy is to check your building to make sure bats cannot enter in the first place. A hole or crevice larger than a half-inch wide is large enough to allow bats to get in.
Thirteen species of bats live in Florida. There are 47 species of bats in North America and 1,330 species worldwide.
Although some eat fruit and pollen, most of them — including all of the bat species found in Florida — eat insects, which benefits people by controlling insects that spread diseases and damage crops.
Bat advocates say research estimates bats save farmers $23 billion a year in crop losses and damage. Also, bats' control of insect populations reduces the need for pesticides.
Bats have been persecuted for years, mostly out of ignorance.
Diseases such as rabies is rare among bats, according to the Florida Bat Conservancy.
They do not attack people, either.
If you'd like to help bats, you might consider erecting a bat house on your property. You can learn more about the specifications for this project by going to www.floridabats.org.
To learn more about Florida bats, go to http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/bats/.
July astronomy night
The next astronomy night will occur July 14 at Colt Creek State Park.
The free talk will begin at 7 p.m. at the main pavilion.
July's topic will be the explanation of astronomical terms such as parsec and celestial pole that are unfamiliar to most people.
For more information, go to polkastro.org.
Tenoroc Public Use Area on the outskirts of Lakeland recently opened its first paddling trail. More are planned.
The 2.9-mile trail is marked with wayfinding buoys in a mine pit on the east side of the 7,300-acre outdoor recreation area off North Combee Road.
The trail winds around a series of spoil islands, which should offer some wildlife-viewing opportunities.
Tenoroc is open Fridays through Monday for day use. Admission is $3 person. All visitors must sign in and sign out.
Recreation and Parks Month
July is National Recreation and Parks Month, which is an invitation to get outdoors and enjoy a state or national park or forest or seashore somewhere in Florida.
There are plenty of places to hike, picnic, swim, fish and explore nature.
To learn more about Florida's state parks, go to https://www.floridastateparks.org/.
To learn more about Florida's state forests, go to https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Our-Forests/State-Forests.
Crooked Lake outing
The celebration of the diversity of the Polk County Environmental Lands sites and Lake Appreciation Month will coincide July 14 at Crooked Lake Prairie near Babson Park.
The outing from 8 a.m. to noon will offer an opportunity to paddle about 2 miles around the boundary of this natural area. Kayaks will be provided.
Reservations are required. Go to https://July2018elpexcursion.eventbrite.com to sign up.
Check out Tom Palmer's blog at http://www.ancientislands.org/conservation/