The United Nations has declared 2011-2012 as International Year of the Bat and Bat Conservation International (BCI) as an International Year of the Bat Founding Partner.

As such, BCI is organizing and promoting bat conservation and celebration around the globe.

If you have planned or would like to plan a Year of the Bat (YOTB) event, BCI is ready to help. Consider one of our three levels of cooperation (Friend, Partner or Cornerstone Partner) and/or sponsorship, and contact us.

Partners & Friends
Bat Friends are organizations or individuals who are holding any event related to bat conservation. Contact us to have your event listed on BCI’s Year of the Bat webpage.

Partners help promote bat conservation by displaying the BCI logo and website link, and by distributing BCI and Year of the Bat materials at partner events. BCI will provide copies of our YOTB Poster (see below) and many other bat conservation education materials, add your logo and web link to our YOTB webpage and have your event listed on the United Nations (UNEP) website.

Cornerstone Partners host signification regional and national events, receive all the benefits of Partner level plus a BCI staff member as a speaker for their event, assistance in contacting other speakers and presenters, and collaboration in fund raising and marketing of the event.

Sponsors
For the promotion of bat conservation and education through BCI Year of the Bat events, Gold Bat Sponsors donate $5,000 or more, Silver Bat Sponsors donate $2,000 - $5,000, and Bronze Bat Sponsors donate $500 - $2,000. All sponsors will receive a BCI membership, a copy of the BCI limited edition Year of the Bat commemorative poster, and listing on the BCI Year of the Bat webpage (anonymous may be listed if so desired).

Sponsorships can include $50 to provide educational materials to a school class, $200 to purchase a bat detector for education programs, $500 to create a bat conservation education display, $1,000 to support a public education symposium, $5,000 to update workshop equipment, and many other important needs which can fit any size donation.

Current & Upcoming Events

2012 June 1 to 2012 August 31, In 49 states across the US, Libraries Summer Reading Program, themed "Night", with these slogans: for children “Dream Big – Read”, for teens “Own the Night” and for adults “Under the Covers”. Artwork has been created by Brian Lies, author of three popular and fanciful books about bats (www.brianlies.com) and a great friend of BCI. Please contact your local library to be sure the truth about bats is a part of their program and recommend that they use BCI’s free Year of the Bat resources (www.batcon.org/yotb) and contact the bat education experts at BCI!

2012 September 18, Free webcast (7:00 –8:30 p.m. ET, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. MT, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. AT), BatsLIVE! at Bracken Bat Cave, The USDA Forest Service, Bat Conservation International, Prince William Network, and a host of other partners will be webcasting LIVE from Bracken Bat Cave on September 18. You may access the webcast FREE on the night of the live event to offer a program about bats. Bracken Cave is the summer home of the world’s largest bat colony with millions of Mexican free-tailed bats. The emergence every evening of these millions of bats, as they spiral out of the cave at dusk for their nightly insect hunt, is an unforgettable sight.

2012 October 6—14, San Antonio, Texas, USA, San Antonio Bat Fest 2012, Join Bat Conservation international, San Antonio Zoo, Trinity University, SeaWorld, Freetail Brewing Company, Brackenridge Park Conservancy, Texas Master Naturalists, and many other organizations for 9 days of festivities during the first annual SAN ANTONIO BAT FEST. We will be celebrating UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE BAT and saying goodbye to San Antonio's millions of bats which migrate each fall to Mexico and return again in late winter. SAN ANTONIO BAT FEST will culminate in a bat symposium, open to the public, held in Trinity University's Laurie Auditorium, and featuring Dr. Merlin Tuttle and many other of the nation's top bat experts who will speak about the beauty of bats, value of bats, threats to bat, what is being done to protect bats, and what you can do to help. Visit this website again to a growing list of other events.

. . . See more current/upcoming events . . .