Upcoming Events at Tom Sawyer Hayes Community Center
Sat Oct 22, 4:00 PM - Sat Oct 22, 7:00 PM
2201 Lakeland Blvd, Louisville, KY 40241
Community: Louisville
Description
A New Kind of Fall Festival...for Wildlife!
Event Details
Join Second Chances Wildlife Center at Sawyer Hayes Community Center in EP Tom Sawyer Park, as we celebrate and raise funds to continue our efforts to rescue wildlife and bring engaging environmental education to Kentuckians.
Kentucky Bat Festival image
Activities for all ages:
Live music from chart-topping bluegrass band, Gary Brewer and the Kentucky Ramblers, so put on your dancing shoes!
Meet different species of live bats (including social media star and "influencer" Pepperoni)
Presentations by Second Chances Director and Environmental Educator Brigette Brouillard and by wildlife biologist Dr. Andrea Darracq
Crawl-through cave simulator from Hidden River Cave
Silent auction
BBQ, ice cream, and local breweries
Educational tables and children's craft
Meet popular children's storybook character Stellaluna
Last year's Kentucky Bat Fest was so much fun - we hope to see you there this year!
Kentucky is home to 16 species of bats, including 3 endangered species. They are critical members of our ecosystem - providing us with natural pest and disease control. (Not to mention how fascinating they are!) However, they face serious threats from human encroachment. Second Chances Wildlife Center specializes in bat rehabilitation and aims to change the way we perceive these incredible members of our natural community.
Kentucky Bat Festival image
About Second Chances Wildlife Center:
With the continued degradation of the world’s ecosystems, the need to raise future conservationists and environmental advocates is more urgent than ever before. Our wildlife rescue and environmental education programs provide those we serve with engaging, memorable opportunities to connect with and develop an affinity for the natural world. In addition, a large body of research demonstrates the positive impact of environmental education on student outcomes. Considering Kentucky’s recent ranking as 45th in the nation for high school graduation rates, we see a special need and take pride in delivering programs that help students in both educational and character development.
Through in-school programs, library visits, and partnerships with other nonprofits, we bring people face-to-face with wildlife they may otherwise never have the chance to experience. The ambassador animals that program participants meet offer a personal connection to nature, one that textbooks and videos cannot replicate. For some students that we reach, particularly in urban areas of Louisville, our visit to their classroom may be the only encounter they have with wildlife – their only opportunity to experience nature from inside of the city.
Second Chances Wildlife Center has 13 years of experience rescuing wildlife and spreading environmental stewardship in our community. Executive Director Brigette Brouillard is a certified Master Environmental Educator who taught in classrooms and at the Louisville Zoo for over 20 years and was awarded Kentucky Conservation Teacher of the Year in 2010. Each year, our Animal Care Team rescues and rehabilitates over 300 animals, including federally endangered bat species. Our environmental education programs reach over 2,500 students each year. We also care for 43 animals granted lifetime sanctuary at our Center in Mt. Washington, KY. We were awarded the BBB Ethics in Marketplace in 2019 and the CFNE Art of Governance in 2018. We have been featured on National Geographic, PBS, The Today Show, The Dodo, and People Magazine.
Kentucky Bat Festival image
Activities for all ages:
Live music from chart-topping bluegrass band, Gary Brewer and the Kentucky Ramblers, so put on your dancing shoes!
Meet different species of live bats (including social media star and "influencer" Pepperoni)
Presentations by Second Chances Director and Environmental Educator Brigette Brouillard and by wildlife biologist Dr. Andrea Darracq
Crawl-through cave simulator from Hidden River Cave
Silent auction
BBQ, ice cream, and local breweries
Educational tables and children's craft
Meet popular children's storybook character Stellaluna
Last year's Kentucky Bat Fest was so much fun - we hope to see you there this year!
Kentucky is home to 16 species of bats, including 3 endangered species. They are critical members of our ecosystem - providing us with natural pest and disease control. (Not to mention how fascinating they are!) However, they face serious threats from human encroachment. Second Chances Wildlife Center specializes in bat rehabilitation and aims to change the way we perceive these incredible members of our natural community.
Kentucky Bat Festival image
About Second Chances Wildlife Center:
With the continued degradation of the world’s ecosystems, the need to raise future conservationists and environmental advocates is more urgent than ever before. Our wildlife rescue and environmental education programs provide those we serve with engaging, memorable opportunities to connect with and develop an affinity for the natural world. In addition, a large body of research demonstrates the positive impact of environmental education on student outcomes. Considering Kentucky’s recent ranking as 45th in the nation for high school graduation rates, we see a special need and take pride in delivering programs that help students in both educational and character development.
Through in-school programs, library visits, and partnerships with other nonprofits, we bring people face-to-face with wildlife they may otherwise never have the chance to experience. The ambassador animals that program participants meet offer a personal connection to nature, one that textbooks and videos cannot replicate. For some students that we reach, particularly in urban areas of Louisville, our visit to their classroom may be the only encounter they have with wildlife – their only opportunity to experience nature from inside of the city.
Second Chances Wildlife Center has 13 years of experience rescuing wildlife and spreading environmental stewardship in our community. Executive Director Brigette Brouillard is a certified Master Environmental Educator who taught in classrooms and at the Louisville Zoo for over 20 years and was awarded Kentucky Conservation Teacher of the Year in 2010. Each year, our Animal Care Team rescues and rehabilitates over 300 animals, including federally endangered bat species. Our environmental education programs reach over 2,500 students each year. We also care for 43 animals granted lifetime sanctuary at our Center in Mt. Washington, KY. We were awarded the BBB Ethics in Marketplace in 2019 and the CFNE Art of Governance in 2018. We have been featured on National Geographic, PBS, The Today Show, The Dodo, and People Magazine.
