Bats are the fascinating and mysterious mammals of the sky and will be featured this Thursday in the Marine Discovery Center’s October Public Lecture Series.

Ariel Horner of Casselberry will be the guest presenter on Thursday, Oct 13, at 6:30 p.m. The event will be held in MDC’s Learning Lab.

Horner is a volunteer and board member with Florida Bat Conservancy (FBC). She operates Bat Belfrys, conducting bat-house work with longtime bat advocate Shari Blissett Clark.

Initially, Horner worked as a biologist studying reptiles and amphibians. When she found an impaired bat at one of her study field sites, she rescued the animal and began volunteering with FBC.

In Thursday’s presentation, she will discuss the lives of bats, their diets and habitats and will also bring bat houses to the lecture. Residents who are interested in buying or building bat houses on their property may find Horner’s presentation helpful in understanding the dos and don’ts of installing bat houses.

Bat houses allow bats to colonize, which helps control insect population in the surrounding area. Bats are insect eaters and small bats can catch up to 1,000 or more insects in a single hour. A colony of 30 little brown bats, for example, could eat up to 1.5 million mosquitoes per month.

MDC’s Public Lecture Series is free, but donations to the center are always appreciated. Pre-registration is requested.

Guests attending the lecture are not required, but may wear masks and practice social distancing during the indoor event.

The Marine Discovery Center is located off the North Causeway at 520 Barracuda Blvd., New Smyrna Beach, Fla. For more information about the lecture, contact the Marine Discovery Center at 386-428-4828.