Who are we?

The purpose of the SDBWG is to work to protect bats and bat habitat through action, education, and cooperation with Federal, State, Tribal, and private landowners. Our objectives are two-fold: to raise awareness about the role bats play in maintaining healthy ecosystems; and to work with public land managers and private landowners to provide alternatives that may reduce possible adverse affects to bats or bat habitat.
"In the end,
we will conserve only what we love,
we will love only what we understand,
we will understand only what we are taught."
- Baba Dioum

Some of Our Past Public Outreach and Education Events

Education is one of the most important tools for bat conservation. Many concerns about bats come from misunderstanding, fear, or outdated information. By helping students, teachers, families, and communities learn more about bats, we can encourage appreciation for these important animals and support actions that protect them.​

Bat Books

Organized an educational fund to purchase library books for public elementary schools throughout South Dakota. The 12-book series was published by ABDO Publishing, MN and was bound for library use.

School Programs

Held multimedia programs on bats to classrooms in the Black Hills area. Programs were available for all age groups and included a slide presentation, recordings of bat echolocation calls, and live non-releasable bats. These programs were provided as a community service and were free of charge.

Educational Bat Trunk

SD Game, Fish and Parks developed an 'Educational Bat Trunk' that contained educational information that included books, video tapes, displays (such as a real, mounted bat skeleton), educational exercises, games, and hand puppets for use in the school system. The trunk could be loaned to teachers throughout the state.

Bats of South Dakota

South Dakota is home to 13 species of bats, all of which eat insects. They feed on moths, beetles, mosquitoes, midges, flies, and other flying insects. What they eat depends on the species, the habitat, the season, and what insects are available.

Bats play an important role in healthy ecosystems. They help reduce night-flying insect populations over rivers, wetlands, forests, grasslands, farms, and backyards. During summer, female bats need especially productive feeding areas so they can raise their pups and build enough energy for migration or winter survival.

Some species may roost in buildings, trees, or other sheltered places, while others use caves, rock crevices, bridges, forests, or open areas during different parts of the year. Because bats depend on safe roosts, clean water, and insect-rich habitats, conserving bats also helps protect the places many other wildlife species use.