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Explore the secret lives of the desert’s night fliers Step into the world of bats—mysterious, skillful, and essential creatures of the twilight. In this immersive program, learn how bats navigate the night skies, the vital roles they play in desert ecosystems, and what local research reveals about their resilience and recovery following wildfire. The day concludes with a guided “bat walk,” where technology and field observation bring these elusive animals into focus.
What to expect:
• Engaging multimedia lecture featuring photographs, video, audio clips, and museum specimens
• An overview of bat biology, flight, echolocation, and their surprising ecological contributions
• Insights from a four-year acoustic survey led by researcher Don Endicott, including details about the Borrego Palm Canyon 2020 fire, grove recovery, and bat population trends
• An evening field experience using an ultrasonic microphone and tablet to hear and identify bat echolocation calls
• Opportunities to observe several local bat species as they emerge to forage after sunset
Who should attend:
• Nature enthusiasts curious about desert wildlife
• Students, educators, and naturalists interested in bat ecology
• Wildlife lovers drawn to nighttime exploration
• Anyone fascinated by conservation science, fire recovery, and acoustic monitoring
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time:
Lecture: 2:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Field Trip: 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Location:
Lecture: Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center (401 Tilting T Dr., Borrego Springs, CA 92004)
Field trip: Meet at Christmas Circle and caravan/carpool to the field sites.
Cost:
ABF Member: $47 Not a member? Join today for as little as $35 and save!
Non-Member: $55
Student: $23
Registration: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=9910297a-68f0-4020-9605-47df1f97ba2e&envId=p-Of6JnJ-NDU-Ys4lsF7CG9w&zone=usa
Cancellation Policy & Scholarships: Please see our FAQs page to read our cancellation policy and learn about scholarship options.
About the Presenter – Don Endicott
A retired civilian research engineer and executive in the field of Navy Communications and Network Technologies in San Diego, Don discovered a second career as a volunteer naturalist. He is a National Association of Interpretation Certified Interpretive Guide and Mission Trails Regional Park Trail Guide as well as public educator for the San Diego Natural History Museum and the San Diego Humane Society as a member of Project Wildlife’s “Bat Team”. Don presents three different multi-media talks on Bats, Mountain Lions, and Peregrine Falcons at regional venues such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Mission Trails Regional Park, and Agua Caliente County Park as well as for San Diego River Park Foundation, Volcan Mountain Foundation, San Diego Community College, and other not for profit educational and conservation organizations. He conducts acoustic surveys throughout the San Diego County region and sites in the Western United States and Canada and contributes full spectrum bat echolocation call recordings to the San Diego Natural History Museum and Wildlife Acoustics, a bioacoustics monitoring systems company, where they have been incorporated into reference libraries for species identification. He monitors nesting Peregrine Falcons for the National Park Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service. Don is co-author of 50 Best Short Hikes San Diego (Wilderness Press, 2018) with the late Jerry Schad. He was recognized as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park’s volunteer Naturalist of the Year in 2018 and received Anza-Borrego Foundation’s second annual ABF Achievement Award in 2015.
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Event Venue
Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center, 401 Tilting T Dr,Borrego Springs, California, United States
Tickets
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