Brain Balance hosting Oct. 22 educational event about nocturnal, winged creatures

By Danielle Smith

Leader Staff Writer

Clear your calendars for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22 and come learn about everyone’s favorite nocturnal mammal – bats!

Brain Balance of North Oakland is hosting an evening where families and community members are invited to hear from a bat education specialist before heading out to the Polly Ann Trail to see them in action.

“We are kicking off at the (Oxford Public) Library and we are going to do a presentation in (one of their) rooms…on the life of bats and debunk some of the myths and talk about why they are important to our community and the benefits they (provide),” said Carrie Odrobina, director of Brain Balance of North Oakland.

“After we do that, we’ll take off and hike that trail from the library to the Polly Ann and talk about more fun bat facts along the way and actually use an ultrasonic echolocation device to listen to the bats…we’ll be able to hear what the human ear can’t pick up in terms of their activity and bat calls.”

After the hike, cider and doughnuts with a gluten-free option from Yates Cider Mill will be available to all participants as everyone mingles and discusses what they’ve learned.

“We always like to do something fun in the fall…we usually do something at the center and this year we decided to do something different that maybe would be more of a service to the whole community and not so much focused on us and just something fun,” Odrobina said.

This time of year, bat activity is at one of its highest points, so Odrobina is confident that guests will learn a lot and enjoy the changing colors of the season.

“It’s just a beautiful time of year. We are so blessed to have that wonderful trail in our community and it’s so well kept and it’s such a great activity,” Odrobina said. “That’s really how Brain Balance ties in…we’re all about being outdoors and doing stuff as a family and using those muscles and keeping coordination going. Less time in front of the screens, more time out with the family doing things that really are good for overall development.”

Brain Balance hosts multiple events a year and this one is filling up fast. To RSVP for this free event, call Brain Balance at (248) 716-5400.