Refuge goes batty for the weekend

The folks at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge will be going a littlebatty this afternoon. The refuge near Prairie City is hosting its secondannual Bat Appreciation Day, with a variety of educational and fun eventsfocused on the furry, flying creatures.Park ranger Callie Le’au (LAY-ow) Courtright says that fashion show will beput on by a Minnesota woman who’s a bat expert.The refuge is home to a variety of nesting bats, called the Indiana bat,which is endangered. Le’au Courtright says bats are like spiders and snakesin that most people don’t like them and would rather see them killed.Today’s Bat Appreciation events run from 3 to 10 p-m. For more information,call (515) 994-3400.