Bat Week

The weekly story time at the Meagher County City Library for the youth of the region has overall been a success since its beginning earlier this fall. The story time allows for the socialization of kids while simultaneously providing an educational environment. This week, in accordance with the upcoming holiday of Halloween, the theme for the youth book reading was “Bat week.” The youth in attendance were able to gain knowledge pertaining to the spooky animal through the regular reading of an on theme book. However, this week, the children also had the unique experience of having a guest speaker to help guide the children’s understanding of the animal. Lloyd Studer, owner of Studer Spraying Services LLC, gave insight on bats and their behavior and roles in the environment. Mr. Studer was also able to answer the youth’s questions and concerns on the subject of bats. The Meagher County City Library thanked Lloyd in a Facebook post, along with pictures of the story time. Community member, Dorothy Smith (owner of Wild Things Taxidermy), chimed in on the post with supplemental information on the subject of the complex organism. Mrs. Smith, a former science teacher, pointed out the value of learning about bats. Mrs. Smith stated that bats play a vital role in the environment and that the animals eat thousands of insects as a source of fuel. Mrs. Smith explicated her concerns that bats are misunderstood by many. Bats are excellent pest control that naturally help with crop yields by using invading insects for food. Additionally, bats help to pollinate plants and aid in seed dispersion. Overall, the education that kids received from the story time should help to reframe the misconceptions about bats and peak the county youth’s interest in science. The story time at the Meagher County City Library offers an important educational opportunity for the region’s youth. The next story time at the library will be Wednesday, November 11 beginning at 11. All ages of children are invited to experience the educational activities. Photo of story time via Meagher County City Library Facebook Page.