Students go "batty" over project

Sisters students work on their bat houses.

Kirk Albertson's second grade students have been going "batty" over their recent study of bats.

They have been learning about bats, bat habitat, and how people can help bats. Since bat habitat is an important part of having a healthy bat population, the second graders decided to make bat houses to encourage larger bat colonies in the Sisters area. (See related story, p. 21).

Large bat colonies can be beneficial, getting rid of pesky insects. A single bat can eat up to 600 mosquitoes an hour. So, as Albertson explains, more bats equals fewer bugs at your next barbecue.

Parent and local builder, Kris Calvin, and a large group of volunteers, provided and prepared the lumber so on building day in the classroom the students could just glue and nail the houses together.

Albertson's classroom was a noisy and productive building site during the construction phase. The day ended with smiling faces and a bat house under each second grader's arm.