Nature Series | Bats In PA: Acoustic Survey Techniques for ID & Conservation
- January 25, 2025
- LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave, Lancaster
- 10am
- $10/Adults | $5/Children (17 & Under) | FREE for Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Members
Bats are more than seasonal, spooky décor! Bats are key indicators of the health of our ecosystems and provide pest control over problematic insect species. However, in Pennsylvania, seven species of bats are of conservation concern, with three species listed as endangered and two species actively protected by the Endangered Species Act. On Saturday, January 25, Millersville University’s Dr. Aaron Haines will kick off the first Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Nature Series program of 2025 with a presentation on remote acoustic survey efforts for bats, a cost-effective way to survey rare bats in Pennsylvania, and how to use recording devices to record bat vocalizations. Learn about the seven species of bats and how remote acoustic recording devices are an integral tool in evaluating these bat species under conservation with minimal human interference.
Dr. Aaron Haines is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and a Professor of Conservation Biology at Millersville University. He is also the Director of the Applied Conservation Lab at Millersville University. Haines has a B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife Management from Virginia Tech, an M.S. in Wildlife & Range Management from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Science from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
HOW TO REGISTER
The event, “Bats In PA” will take place on Saturday, January 25 at 10am at LancasterHistory. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10/Adults and $5/Children (17 & Under). Friends of the Tanger Arboretum members receive complimentary admission, but should still register for the program. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling (717) 392-4633. Advance tickets recommended as walk-in tickets are not guaranteed.
Membership gets you more! Membership to the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum not only supports the care and conservation of this local natural resource, but also gets you great benefits such as complimentary admission to Nature Series programs! Learn more about membership and sign up today here.
The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission Program. AHS Reciprocal Admission Program members may register for tickets in advance and must show a valid membership card upon checking in. AHS Members should contact Emily Miller, emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org, with any questions or to register for tickets in advance.
This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, please visit the Arboretum’s webpage.
The 2025 Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Nature Series is sponsored by Ever Green Tree & Lawn Care! Thank you for your support!
Featured Event In-Person Event Nature Series Program
On Saturday, February 1, join Lancaster County Park Senior Naturalist Lisa Sanchez for a ‘sweet’ Nature Series presentation on maple sugaring! Learn about the production of maple syrup and its importance to Indigenous peoples and European colonists, its role in food rationing during World War II, and its influence on our taste buds today. Explore the history of the tools and techniques used to produce maple syrup and learn all of the steps required to make maple syrup, from identifying trees to collecting and boiling the sap. You’ll also get to sample maple sugar candy!
Join us for LancasterHistory’s inaugural wreath-laying ceremony for Lydia Hamilton Smith. Smith was Thaddeus Stevens’ housekeeper, a businesswoman in her own right, and also a devout Roman Catholic who was buried at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery upon her death in 1884. Taking place the week before Smith’s birthday, the ceremony will feature the laying of fresh flowers at her gravesite and remarks by community leaders.
Thaddeus Stevens’ proudest accomplishment was his successful advocacy for free public education in Pennsylvania. He argued that education was vital to democracy because in a democracy every citizen must make informed decisions about the issues that shape their lives. But education has never been accessible for everyone in our community. As Ijeoma Oluou writes in Be A Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World – and How You Can Too: “Education is powerful and capable of powerful good. And it is because of this that white supremacy has worked so hard to keep it out of our hands.”
The Stevens & Smith Center is coming in early 2026, but before we fill the space with priceless artifacts and beautiful displays, we want to welcome guests in for a sneak peek– and a once in a lifetime party! With lavish food stations, bars, and music throughout the Center, the Sneak Peek Soirée is a chance to preview the Center and get a first look at its beautifully renovated spaces while supporting LancasterHistory’s education and public programs.
Bruce E. Mowday (presenter) is an award-winning author and newspaper reporter. He has authored more than 25 books on history, sports, business, and true crime including Lafayette at Brandywine: The Making of an American Hero and Lafayette: America’s Young Hero and Guest. Mowday has appeared on numerous television and radio shows and has also served in leadership roles at the Chester County Historical Society, the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, the Valley Forge Park Alliance, and the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau. For this panel, he will be giving an overview of the life of the Marquis de Lafayette before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.
Dr. Louise Stevenson 
Ben Webber (presenter) is a passionate advocate for local history research, education, and preservation. As a full-time civil engineer, his historical lens focuses on the environment and the impacts of our community’s development. A constant collaborator, Ben strives to help others achieve their aims and simultaneously to improve his own knowledge. Recent areas of interest have included the history of the Conestoga River, the development of the Lincoln Highway, Maple Grove Park, and the upcoming Lancaster Tricentennial. For this panel, he will be tracing the Marquis de Lafayette’s travels in Lancaster County when he visited during his farewell tour of 1824-25.
Sarah Alberico (presenter) is a Lancaster County native, earning her BA in History from Millersville University and her MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She has been the Curator at Historic Rock Ford for more than a decade, with a focus on museum collections management and material culture, specifically early American decorative arts. For this panel, she will be highlighting the objects to be included in Rock Ford’s upcoming exhibit “1825: Lafayette in Lancaster.”
As we emerge from winter and into spring, its time to combine two common interests for nature lovers: gardening and birding! Join the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum on Saturday, March 29 as we welcome presenter Holly List for “These Plants Are For The Birds!” Learn about how we can share our landscape with birds, pursuing plants that support our feathered friends while providing seasonal interest and joy to our homes and community. Plus, get tips on how to ID common resident birds as well as those migrating through our area.