Hester Schwarzer & Ellen Ravkind

How many flying mammals are there? Take a guess. Time’s up. One. Bat enthusiasts Hester Schwarzer and Ellen Ravkind fill in the (numerous!) gaps in your bat knowledge, including that bats come in all sizes, have a variety of diets and roosting locations, and greatly benefit people as voracious suppertime insect feeders. Bats are well known in Texas through their massive colonies and chiropterologists’ (professional and amateur) outstanding rehabilitation efforts. Local investigations are expanding our knowledge of North Central Texas bat populations, and Hester and Ellen will do the same for you. Hester grew up in East Texas loving the outdoors. She earned a double major in education and environmental science from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and subsequently taught elementary school for three decades. In retirement she devotes much of her time to volunteering on naturalist projects and in education. Hester is a certified Master Naturalist and a Master Gardener. Ellen hails from Western New York and as a girl lived on family property in Chautauqua County near Westfield, where her love of nature and bats originated. She earned her doctorate from the UT Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Physiology. Ellen started working at River Legacy Foundation in summer camps in 2015 and was hired as a full-time naturalist in 2017 and subsequently became the public programs manager/environmental educator. Ellen enjoys sharing her knowledge with people of all ages.