Bats have generally been known to have a bad reputation. In movies and in society, they are often depicted as creepy. But four bat houses constructed by a group of 12 students from Troy South Middle School for Kiwanis Park could help dispel myths and be a big plus by providing alternative housing, decreasing human-bat contact and lessening pest populations like mosquitoes.

“The bat houses are kind of a symbol of stewardship and learning and care for their environment,” said Lori Horner, Lincoln County R-III academic interventionist. “Like providing a safe shelter for bats. The kids are incredibly proud as they should be and they can’t wait to take their families to see them.”

Each year, Horner works with students to connect them with the community and lend a helping hand. In the past, projects have included a community garden and volunteering at a food pantry. Since Horner serves on the Troy Park Board and bats have been declining in the state over the last decade and there were no bat houses at Kiwanis Park, she thought it would be the ideal public service for her students to be a part of creating something for use and awareness.

“It was a cool project for the kids to get them ecologically involved in their community. I feel like the project gave our kids a chance to connect with nature while making a real difference in the community,” she said.

Last November, Horner and her students started learning about and investigating bats. A naturalist from the state park came to discuss bats in-depth and the students created an informational poster on the benefits of bats as well as worked with the high school woods class to construct the bat houses.

“The students built the models first out of cardboard so that they could understand how it all worked, why there are two chambers, how did the bats use it, which direction does it have to face, and all the things about a bat house so they could be inhabited,” Horner said.

Each bat house is 18 inches across the front with two chambers about six to eight inches deep. The chambers allow bats to grasp and cling. The bottom of the bat house has an open hole for ventilation which keeps the roosting area clean and fresh. Once the bat houses were constructed and painted, they were each installed 13 feet off the ground throughout Kiwanis Park. Then a
formal dedication ceremony on May 20 was held at the park to commemorate the new bat houses and the hard work of all the students involved in the project.

“The District strives to provide each of our students with exemplary experiences, trusting relationships and superior instruction,” said Superintendent Matthew Frederickson. “This project highlights all three of these pillars. I am proud of our students and teachers for finding a creative and engaging way to learn and provide a service to our community as well.”

There could be more bat houses in the future. For now, the goal is to provide a safe haven which is something the students are immensely proud of and also for the bats in Kiwanis Park to
create colonies. Besides being a benefit for the ecosystem, bat houses can also invite an educational opportunity.

“People think bats are scary for the most part,” Horner said. “I think it’s important for people to stop by the trailhead and get some information about when’s the best time to come and what to look for, and what to do if you find a bat. There’s all these different pieces of information that would be really good for adults and kids to learn.”