Forests for the Bats, a Halloween takeover of the Alliance’s Forests for the Bay newsletter, is all about celebrating our Chesapeake forests and the peak of autumn, which is largely our favorite time to be in the woods. Whether or not you’re a Halloween nut, autumn’s inherent connection to the macabre is hard to dismiss. Leaves rot as they pile up on the forest floor, leaving skeletal remains of trees and the rich smell of wet decay. Nights grow long and days grow shadowier and colder. As we get closer to the edge of winter, it’s no wonder this time of year has a dual meaning for many cultures around the world: celebrating the harvest and noting that the life it will bring is also tied inextricably to death.

Close up image of devil tooth fungus on a forest floor with red extracellular fluid droplets sitting on top of the fungus

Its allliiive, Devil Tooth Fungus (Photo credit: Adobe Stock)

Bats are important members of our forest ecosystems and perform invaluable functions for humanity. Forests for the Bats invites you to learn more about these fascinating animals and their current conservation plights in addition to the other spooky members of our watershed’s forests, wetlands, and streams. Join us to learn about the creepy, crawly, ghoulish, and ghastly flora and fauna that make our watershed so special!

Ryan Davis, the Alliance’s PA Forests Projects Manager, shares a horror story he experienced while in the field one autumn afternoon in remote West Virginia. Read it now.

Alliance Blog Posts

Other Spooky Stories

Videos

Tree Talk: Bloodroot   Race to Save Pennsylvania Bats
                   
Tree Talk: Witch Hazel   Tree Talk: Poison Ivy
                   

 

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Learn more about Forest Management and Bats and Other Wildlife