Licia Johnson could talk for hours about bats.
“There's really nothing I won't do for a bat,” said Johnson.
Like many people, Johnson grew up afraid of bats with the misconception that they will always try to bite you and give you rabies.
Now, as the education director and a naturalist at the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters, a portion of her work is dedicated to educating people about these mammals and dispelling harmful myths.
“I found that it's very much needed, especially in this area, with the amount of bats that we have, that people learn what to do if you have a bat in your house, how to safely deal with that situation, and just also understanding the importance of bats and that they are protected in the state and the other rules and laws that come with that,” said Johnson.
Bat populations have declined in recent years, with White Nose Syndrome being a major cause of deaths.
Johnson hopes as more people learn about bats, they’ll be more inclined to help protect them. She says while she still deals with a lot of misinformation, there’s signs public perception is chaining.
“The Discovery Center, we have hosted the past two years our own little mini version of Bat Festival, celebrating bats and other nocturnal animals,” said Johnson. “This is our second year doing it. We had over 450 people show up for this three-hour event, which just shows that people are interested in them. They care about them.”
Johnson to get even more people to care about them at this month’s Science on Tap Minocqua.
It’s this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Rocky Reef Brewing Company.
You can also stream it online.
