The Southbury Public Library is hosting two bat events on Tuesday, June 30, 2026: “Bats for Kids” from 4-5pm for ages 3-6 and “Batty for Bats” from 5-6pm for Grades 6-12.
Licensed wildlife rehabilitator Maureen Heidtmann will teach all about bats and their important role in our ecosystem during these events, each of which is tailored specifically for its age group. “Bats for Kids” is an informative and fun event that includes rhymes and animations. For this children’s event, an accompanying adult should be present, and older siblings and relatives are also invited to attend. “Batty for Bats” is more in depth, with information about the myths and misconceptions about these fascinating creatures, the many roles bats play to ensure a healthy planet, the perils bats face in their struggle for survival, their amazing resilience, and what we can do to help. We’ll learn about bats from all around the world with an emphasis on our local species. At both events, you can meet a Bat Ambassador! This bat cannot be released back into the wild, and comes with Maureen to educational events as a species ambassador; she has a USDA permit which allows her to keep non-releasable bats for educational purposes.
About the presenter: Maureen Heidtmann is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who has worked with bats for over 20 years. She also holds a Master Wildlife Conservationist certificate and is one of only three rehabilitators in Connecticut approved by DEEP to care for bats. Over the years, Maureen has presented programs for children and adults at libraries, schools, nature centers and botanical gardens. In 2016, she was the designated regional educator for Bat Conservation International (BCI), and she has done voluntary fieldwork for BCI, looking for endangered species bats with the goal of protecting their habitat.
Registration required; register at southburylibrary.org/events or at the Second Floor Circulation Desk of the Southbury Public Library.
Program links:
Bats for Kids: https://www.southburylibrary.org/6-26-batskids
Batty for Bats: https://www.southburylibrary.org/6-26-teenbats