Requirements:
Going Batty
Daisies/Brownies
To earn the Going Batty award, Girl Scout Brownies must complete at least four of the following activities: Daisies complete 3.
Juniors
3. All of the bats that live in Illinois have a special hearing system called echolocation. Try to imagine what it would be like to find your way to your room only by listening to your voice bounce off the walls. Play a game that uses echolocation like Bat and Moth or Marco Polo.
4. How are bats helpful to people? Find out five ways bats can help you! Hint: some bats don’t eat insects; they drink nectar!
6. Find out about some of the myths associated with bats (vampires, etc.). How did they come about? Make up your own myth that stars bats as the good guys.
C/S/A
Do:
1. Some bats studied by researchers are tracked using telemetry. Find out how bats are tracked and why. An important resource in this activity is your local university or college. You can also consult with the Department of Conservation or Natural Resources in your state.
2. Bat data is compiled using a database and population statistics. This data is often used to make distribution maps. Research online to find a distribution map for bats and explain it to your troop.
3. Sit out a couple of nights and make a tally of every bat you see. Do this over a time period and compare the number of bats with the weather, or with the presence of other animals or another factor. This is called a correlation study. Can you draw any conclusions based on your data?
4. Make a PowerPoint, poster or other presentation complete with pictures that show the bat species you may encounter at camp and in your neighborhood. Share this with your troop.
Share:
1. Create a bat puppet show with another person and put on an informational show for a younger girl troop. Cover some of the myths and facts about bats.
2. Make a poster for display at your school or local community center that describes the myths and facts about bats – if you conducted a poll to identify the reasons people are afraid of bats, include that information too. Contact your local bat or wildlife sanctuary for more information or suggestions on what to put on your poster.
3. Call a local bat rescue group and ask for advice on building and placing a bat house in your community or at camp (ask permission before placing a bat box on public or Girl Scout property.)
4. Visit with a younger troop and play some bat games with them; Bat and Moth or Marco Polo are good games that demonstrate echolocation. Help them build a bat house.
5. Learn about wildlife sanctuaries and rescue groups. What qualifications does a rescue group have to have? How do you become certified in wildlife rehabilitation?