What is the first thing a bat learns in school? The alphabat.

Today, April 17th, is National Bat Appreciation Day … so it deserves a corny joke.

Humans have long coveted the ability to fly, and as a result come up with fantastical tales and legends over the years. But (with apologies to Batman!) there is only one mammal capable of continuous flight:  the bat. There are at least 44 different known species of this amazing nocturnal creature residing in North America.

While they were once feared and even persecuted, bats are now recognized for their importance to our ecosystem. In fact, they are fully protected by law—and not just the creatures themselves, but their breeding grounds and habitat as well. There are very good reasons for this, as the National Park Service estimates the insect control provided by bats saves the agriculture industry over $23 billion dollars each year. A single bat can eat 3,000 or more insects per night. My personal favorite: they love mosquitoes—which I HATE!—and can consume 1,200 of the blood-sucking monsters in an hour. (Mosquitoes are my dreaded spring/summer nemesis, if you can’t tell.) Without bats to control the insect population, there would be unimaginable damage to our crops and forests.

Unfortunately, due to a steady loss of habitat, bats are in trouble. Despite their surprising life span—many species regularly survive for 2–3 decades in the wild, making them one of the longest-living mammals—their population is on the decline.

This brings us to our next logical question: what can each of us do to help these valuable creatures thrive?

• Reduce your use of pesticides, as bats are especially sensitive to them. Consider organic alternatives like diatomaceous earth in your gardens.

• Promote the bat’s natural habitat by leaving dead trees on your property (assuming they are in a place where they don’t pose a safety risk, of course).

• Consider putting up bat houses to provide them with shelter. Buy one here, or …

• … build your own! (Here’s a video showing how, and you can find more sources for plans and instructions.)

• Protect the quality of the local water supplies around your area.

• If you do come into contact with bats, do your best to avoid disturbing them.

You may have heard that bats can carry rabies. While this is true, the risk is extremely low. According to the Bat World Sanctuary, less than 0.5%—one-half of one percent, or fewer than 1 in 200 bats—carry the disease, and if you live in the U.S., you are more likely to be infected with leprosy or the plague than to contract rabies from a bat.

Having said that, I still wouldn’t recommend handling a bat (especially with bare hands) for a few reasons. First, they are protected. It’s a crime to even capture a bat. Next, you would be wise to remember a grounded bat is more likely to be sickly; instead of handling it, you should contact a wild animal specialist in your area who is trained to evaluate the creature’s health and hopefully rescue it safely.

I’d encourage you and your children to learn more about these amazing creatures God has gifted to our world. Your local library or used book store is a wonderful place to start!