Mission 4
Inspire through Experience
Mexican free-tailed bat
(Tadarida brasiliensis)
Photo by Michael Durham / Minden Pictures
(Tadarida brasiliensis)
Photo by Michael Durham / Minden Pictures
Bracken Cave’s bat flights are only part of the importance of this site. We’re scientifically studying and monitoring the cave and its inhabitants and evaluating how our data applies overall to bat conservation around the world.”
—Fran Hutchins, Director, Bracken Cave Preserve
Experiencing the Wonders of Bats
Bracken Cave is home to the world’s largest known maternity colony of bats—an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). Pregnant female bats migrate from Central Mexico to Bracken Cave each March and April to give birth. In the Hill Country of Texas near San Antonio, BCI owns and manages the cave and the 1,500-acre preserve surrounding it.
Bracken Cave is vital to the science of understanding migratory bat species. It also offers the public a paramount opportunity to witness the wonders of bats. During summer, visitors to the cave assemble near dusk on wooden benches near the entrance to observe millions of bats flying from the mouth of the cave into the evening sky for their nightly meal.
The experience is sensory. Visitors hear bats in flight grow dramatically louder, watch increasing numbers of bats rise from the cave, feel the rush of air generated by flight motions, and catch whiffs of pungent bat guano from below.
152
Bat flight events
7,082
Bracken cave visitors
244,000
Online viewers
Nightly, during the summer, millions of bats fly from Bracken Cave in what’s called a “batnado” (rhymes with tornado.)
Photo by Jonathan Alonzo
Photo by Jonathan Alonzo
Mission 4
Inspire through Experience
Nightly, during the summer, millions of bats fly from Bracken Cave in what’s called a “batnado” (rhymes with tornado.)
Photo by Jonathan Alonzo
Photo by Jonathan Alonzo
Experiencing the Wonders of Bats
Bracken Cave is home to the world’s largest known maternity colony of bats—an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). Pregnant female bats migrate from Central Mexico to Bracken Cave each March and April to give birth. In the Hill Country of Texas near San Antonio, BCI owns and manages the cave and the 1,500-acre preserve surrounding it.
Bracken Cave is vital to the science of understanding migratory bat species. It also offers the public a paramount opportunity to witness the wonders of bats. During summer, visitors to the cave assemble near dusk on wooden benches near the entrance to observe millions of bats flying from the mouth of the cave into the evening sky for their nightly meal.
The experience is sensory. Visitors hear bats in flight grow dramatically louder, watch increasing numbers of bats rise from the cave, feel the rush of air generated by flight motions, and catch whiffs of pungent bat guano from below.
Bracken Cave’s bat flights are only part of the importance of this site. We’re scientifically studying and monitoring the cave and its inhabitants and evaluating how our data applies overall to bat conservation around the world.”
—Fran Hutchins, Director, Bracken Cave Preserve
152
Bat flight events
7,082
Bracken cave visitors
244,000
Online viewers
Mexican free-tailed bat
(Tadarida brasiliensis)
Photo by Michael Durham / Minden Pictures
(Tadarida brasiliensis)
Photo by Michael Durham / Minden Pictures
BCI is committed to integrating conservation work in local communities, and we know that personal experiences lead to deep understanding and increased commitment to saving bat species.
Bracken Cave Preserve in rugged Texas Hill Country offers a perfect ecosystem for millions of seasonally migrating bats.
Photo by Jonathan Alonzo
Photo by Jonathan Alonzo
Online Training, Bat-Detector Technology and Gardening with Native Plants
Bat Conservation International (BCI) continues its highly successful initiative to build a network of engaged and well-trained volunteers. Participants are given two weeks to complete a compelling series of self-directed online training sessions. Then they are educated in using state-of-the-art bat-detecting technology so that they may guide neighborhood sunset walks.
In FY22, BCI:
Trained 175 Bat Ambassadors in 6 Cities:
Durango, CO
El Paso, TX
Phoenix, AZ
San Diego, CA
Shelby Township, MI
Tucson, AZ
Bat Conservation in Austin, Texas
Trained 175 Bat Ambassadors in 6 Cities:
Durango, CO
El Paso, TX
Phoenix, AZ
San Diego, CA
Shelby Township, MI
Tucson, AZ
Bat Conservation in Austin, Texas
BCI also worked with partners in Austin, Texas and Washington, DC to plant model bat gardens of native plants.
Connecting to the World of Bats
Film Premiere: Matthew McConaughey narrates Bracken Cave’s story
In 2022, “Deep in the Heart” premiered, featuring the bats of Bracken Cave. The full-length documentary, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, profiles some of Texas’s most fascinating wildlife, from mysteriously blind catfish to elusive mountain lions to Bracken Cave’s migratory population. A film crew of six spent more than 30 days at the cave, working with BCI staff to perfectly capture the bats in flight and the perils the bats face from predatory hawks and snakes.
Online Training, Bat-Detector Technology and Gardening with Native Plants
Bat Conservation International (BCI) continues its highly successful initiative to build a network of engaged and well-trained volunteers. Participants are given two weeks to complete a compelling series of self-directed online training sessions. Then they are educated in using state-of-the-art bat-detecting technology so that they may guide neighborhood sunset walks.
In FY22, BCI:
Trained 175 Bat Ambassadors in 6 Cities:
Durango, CO
El Paso, TX
Phoenix, AZ
San Diego, CA
Shelby Township, MI
Tucson, AZ
Bat Conservation in Austin, Texas
Trained 175 Bat Ambassadors in 6 Cities:
Durango, CO
El Paso, TX
Phoenix, AZ
San Diego, CA
Shelby Township, MI
Tucson, AZ
Bat Conservation in Austin, Texas
BCI also worked with partners in Austin, Texas and Washington, DC to plant model bat gardens of native plants.
Bracken Cave Preserve in rugged Texas Hill Country offers a perfect ecosystem for millions of seasonally migrating bats.
Photo by Jonathan Alonzo
Photo by Jonathan Alonzo
BCI is committed to integrating conservation work in local communities, and we know that personal experiences lead to deep understanding and increased commitment to saving bat species.
Connecting to the World of Bats
Film Premiere: Matthew McConaughey narrates Bracken Cave’s story
In 2022, “Deep in the Heart” premiered, featuring the bats of Bracken Cave. The full-length documentary, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, profiles some of Texas’s most fascinating wildlife, from mysteriously blind catfish to elusive mountain lions to Bracken Cave’s migratory population. A film crew of six spent more than 30 days at the cave, working with BCI staff to perfectly capture the bats in flight and the perils the bats face from predatory hawks and snakes.
Youth Outreach
Bat Conservation in Austin, Texas BCI partnered with Austin Youth River Watch (AYRW), a nonprofit organization that serves underresourced youth in Austin, Texas, to introduce students to the world of bat conservation. In FY22, BCI hosted AYRW students at Bracken Cave Preserve. The pilot program—intended to augment BCI’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI)—was so successful that it now serves as a model for youth outreach in other communities.
BCI organizes and supports a diverse array of outreach programs to educate and engage the public in bat conservation. Sometimes the “hook” is simply witnessing bats in flight in the evening.
Photo by Dr. Melquisdec Gambo-Rios
Photo by Dr. Melquisdec Gambo-Rios
Bat Fest Monterrey in Nuevo León, Mexico
BCI cohosted a dynamic event with local partner Battus, attracting 200 children and adults to the in-person event and reaching more than 15,000 virtually. In conjunction with the event, BCI and Battus produced Spanish-language educational materials, including a children’s activity book about pollinating bats, informative signage, and a brochure about bats.
Inspiring Youth
BCI staff—Dr. Kristen Lear, Dr. Melquisdec Gambo-Rios and Dr. Tina Cheng—became the stars of a dynamic and innovative outreach program called “I Am a Scientist,” intended to inspire middle school and high school students to explore careers in science.
Youth Outreach
Bat Conservation in Austin, Texas BCI partnered with Austin Youth River Watch (AYRW), a nonprofit organization that serves underresourced youth in Austin, Texas, to introduce students to the world of bat conservation. In FY22, BCI hosted AYRW students at Bracken Cave Preserve. The pilot program—intended to augment BCI’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI)—was so successful that it now serves as a model for youth outreach in other communities.
Bat Fest Monterrey in Nuevo León, Mexico
BCI cohosted a dynamic event with local partner Battus, attracting 200 children and adults to the in-person event and reaching more than 15,000 virtually. In conjunction with the event, BCI and Battus produced Spanish-language educational materials, including a children’s activity book about pollinating bats, informative signage, and a brochure about bats.
Inspiring Youth
BCI staff—Dr. Kristen Lear, Dr. Melquisdec Gambo-Rios and Dr. Tina Cheng—became the stars of a dynamic and innovative outreach program called “I Am a Scientist,” intended to inspire middle school and high school students to explore careers in science.
BCI organizes and supports a diverse array of outreach programs to educate and engage the public in bat conservation. Sometimes the “hook” is simply witnessing bats in flight in the evening.
Photo by Dr. Melquisdec Gambo-Rios
Photo by Dr. Melquisdec Gambo-Rios