The popular “Bat Talk and Walk” summer series co-sponsored by the Yolo Basin Foundation and the state Department of Fish and Game — begins Friday, June 3. Tours will continue throughout the summer.

Each evening’s program begins with a 45-minute indoor presentation on bat natural history at the Wildlife Area Headquarters, 45211 Chiles Road (County Road 32-B), and includes an opportunity to see live bats up close. The start time depends on the date.

The group will then caravan to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area east of Davis to watch one of the largest colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats in California as it emerges to hunt insects at sunset.

The Yolo Bypass colony is a maternal colony that roosts during the day in the expansion joints under the Yolo Causeway. Bats arrive here in the late spring and give birth to their pups over the summer.

To see the dates and times of the programs and to make reservations, visit the Yolo Basin Foundation website, http://www.yolobasin.org, and click on “Bat Talk and Walk.” A $10 donation is suggested from all adult participants and children are free.

Two evening programs are reserved for members of the Yolo Basin Foundation. Members may contact Corky Quirk at [email protected] or (530) 902-1918 to reserve their complimentary spaces. Quirk also can answer any questions regarding bats or tours, including special tours for groups.

Yolo Basin Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the appreciation and stewardship of wetlands and wildlife through education and innovative partnerships. The California Department of Fish and Game owns and manages the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area.

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