An evening potluck, presentation about bats, and bat-spotting event in Prospect Park, Brooklyn for all NYC Friends! Featuring Nic from Urban Bat Project NYC.
Thursday August 21, 2025, 7-10 PM
All NYC Friends are welcome at a “Bats 101” presentation in Friends Cemetery followed by bat spotting at the nearby Peninsula area of Prospect Park. This event will be led by Nic Comparato (they/them, IG: @lesscommonloons), a wildlife biologist with NYC Bird Alliance and a PhD student with the Aronson Lab for Urban Ecological Studies at Rutgers University. Nic is a specialist in the recording and analysis of bat sonar. Their Urban Bat Project NYC is on IG: @urbanbatsnyc.
7:00 pm: Community Get-together: A pot luck for gathering the community. Nic will be available to meet people and answer general questions about the ecology of Prospect Park and the Friends Cemetery.
8:00 pm: Bat Presentation : A ~45 minute presentation and slides covering basic bat facts, interesting bats of the world, and the 5 species local to NYC. Concludes with the unique importance of Friends Cemetery/Prospect Park for migrating bats navigating the urban landscape. Extra time included for questions.
9:00 pm: Bat Spotting: Following the presentation, those interested in seeing bats in person can join Nic for a short walk to the Peninsula field (located near the Wellhouse bathrooms). The event will conclude at the Peninsula, where Nic will give live sonar analysis demonstrations as bats fly overhead.
Note: In addition to bringing yummy food to share, please bring bug spray.
