For some, bats are associated with spooky haunted houses, witches on broomsticks and other forms of Halloween iconography – but for others, bats are among the most fascinating animals on earth. Join Tom Forwood, naturalist and assistant manager of Lewis and Clark Caverns, to learn about the world’s only flying mammals. Often persecuted and reviled, bats show some of the most unusual and amazing adaptations and they deserve our respect and maybe even our affections. Come learn about some of these amazing adaptations and find out what is often the case in nature, that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Tom Forwood Jr works in park management for Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks. He spent 10 years as an interpretive ranger teaching numerous visitors of all ages about the birds and other plants and wildlife of Montana. He has given bat programs for 15 years and started the annual August Bat Week Event at Lewis and Clark Caverns. Tom, a diehard birder, is also a regional eBird reviewer, leads regular field trips for Sacagawea Audubon, compiles two Christmas Bird Counts and is on the Montana Bird Records Committee.