2018 Be a Bat Hero #BatWeek Twitter Storm ToolkitTWITTER STORM: Tuesday, October 30 at 1pm - 2pm ET

ALWAYS Use This Hashtag: #BatWeekOPTIONAL Hashtags: #SavetheBats #LoveBats #Bats #BatHero

BatWeek is an annual celebration of bats that takes place October 24 – 31. Now in its fifth year, Bat Week is comprised of events that take place throughout the week across the US and Canada. In addition to attending events, millions participate online through social media and on the batweek.org website.

This year, Corazon Latino is leading efforts to conduct a Twitter Storm on Tuesday, October 30th from 1:00 PM - 2:00PM ET. During this time, all BatWeek partners will tweet and retweet Bat Week related posts and graphics. Every single tweet will include the hashtag, #BatWeek. The goal of the twitter storm is to trend the topic, BatWeek on Twitter and raise awareness in the Twitter community and to our followers on bat education and conservation. The posts will provide bat facts, including habitat and health issues and benefits of bats to our ecosystem. They will also dispel bat myths and empower audiences to contribute to bat conservation efforts.

Key Twitter Handles:

BatWeek @BatWeek

Bat Conservation International @BatConIntl

Bureau of Land Management @BLMNational

Descubre el Bosque @DescubreElBosque

Discover the Forest @DiscovertheForest

FSNatureLIVE @FSNatureLive

Lubee Bat Conservancy @BatConservancy

Nature Watch @FSNatureWatch

Organization For Bat Conservation @BatConservation

National Park Service @NatlParkService

Parks Canada @ParksCanada

The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative @CWHCRCSF

The Save Lucy Campaign @SaveLucyTheBat

The Wildlife Habitat Council @WildlifeHC

US Fish and Wildlife Service @USFWS

@USFWSNortheast@USFWSSoutheast@USFWSMidwest@USFWSMtnPrairie@USFWSPacSWest@USFWSSouthwest@USFWSAlaska@USFWSPacific

US Forest Service @forestservice

U.S. Geological Survey @USGS

Wildlife Acoustics @WildlifeAcoust

Wildlife Conservation Society @TheWCS

Woodsy Owl @WoodsyOwl

Sample Email to Partners

Subject: Join our #BatWeek Twitter Storm: Tuesday Oct 30 at 1PM ET/11AM PT

Dear Partners,

In honor of #BatWeek, we will host a Twitter storm on Monday, October 30th at 1PM-2PM ET to inform and educate the Twitter community about the importance of bats, bat conservation, bat habitat and health issues, and empower them to save bats. The purpose of this twitter storm is to generate engagement and create a topic trend in the twitter community on #BatWeek. Our partners and followers will simultaneously tweet, like and retweet #BatWeek posts during the course of an hour to create the trend in hopes of reaching more people. This digital effort helps raise awareness on bat conservation efforts and informs communities on the importance of bats in our ecosystem.

We would love for you participate in the #BatWeek twitter storm by tweeting, retweet and liking #BatWeek related posts on Twitter on Tuesday, October 30th from 1PM-2PM ET. Attached and below are English and Spanish language sample tweets and graphics to use during the twitter storm. Feel free to edit the sample tweets as you wish, add emojis or create your own tweets and graphics. ALWAYS include the hashtag #BatWeek so that others can like and retweet.

Sample Promotional Tweets

● Join us Tuesday, Oct 30th for #BatWeek Twitter Storm to learn important bat facts. #lovebats

● #BatWeek twitter storm helps spread info on the importance of #bats. Tweet, like and retweet on Oct 30th, 1PM-2PM ET.

● #Bats are amazing! Let’s tweet about it on Tuesday Oct 30th for #BatWeek Twitter Storm at 1PM-2PM ET.

● #LoveBats because they pollinate our plants. Tweet about your love for bats on Oct 30th from 1PM-2PM ET for #BatWeek Twitter Storm

● #Bat habitats are being destroyed. Learn how to #savethebats this Tuesday, Oct 30th, 1PM-2PM for #Batweek Twitter Storm

Sample Tweets

● #BatWeek is back! Did you know that almost 20% of the world’s mammals are #bats? That’s 1300 species

worldwide.

● Fun fact: Healthy #bats are skilled navigators, they have eyes and can see but at night use echolocation, using sound to “view” objects. #BatWeek

● #Bats get a bad rap this time of year. But they are actually essential for our ecosystem. They pollinate

plants to grow delicious fruit. #BatWeek

● Bats need you to become a #BatHero! White-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats and are now

endangered. #SavetheBats and support research to find a cure for the syndrome. #BatWeek https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/

● Ever had a #bat swoop by your head? They’re likely catching insects you’re attracting. Learn more at batweek.org #BatWeek

● #Bats control biting insect & pest populations by eating their body weight in insects nightly. It’s just one more reason to #LoveBats on #BatWeek

● Help #Bats preserve their habitat by building a bat house for #Batweek! Learn how here: http://batweek.org/make-bat-house/ #savethebats

● Check out the Bat Squad! to learn cool fun bat facts and help protect our bats for #BatWeek http://batweek.org/bat-squad-webcasts/

● White-nose Syndrome is a serious disease that is contributing to the decline on our #bat population. Help

to #savethebats on #BatWeek by supporting research to find a cure. https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/

● #Bats bring nutrients and energy into the cave ecosystem. Visit Forest Service caves like Blanchard Springs Caverns or El Capitan Cave around the country to learn more during #BatWeek https://batslive.pwnet.org/

● Holy Smokes, it’s the Bat Squad! Learn how kids can help bats and become bat experts. #BatWeek. http://batweek.org/bat-squad-profiles/

● The #BatSquad has released some incredible webcasts on bats for #BatWeek. Watch here http://batweek.org/bat-squad-resources/

● Take action and be a #BatHero by spreading the word on the importance of bats on #BatWeek and everyday. Learn more here. http://batweek.org/can-make-difference/

● #DYK that the food that we eat is made possible by bats?! They eat insects that could harm crops, pollinate our plants and disperse seeds, all for our food to grow. #BatWeek

● Take a look at this handy cookbook for tasty recipes and celebrate #BatWeek http://batweek.org/wp-content/uploads/BatCelebrationCookBook-UPDATED2018.pdf

● #DYK that the world’s smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand, weighing about 1 penny? #BatWeek

● #DYK The golden-crowned flying fox is one of the largest bats in the world, with a wing-span of up to 5’6” and weighing up to 2.6 pounds. #BatWeek

● Batty Hot Chocolate, Mango Shortbread and Coconut Cupcakes are all yummy treats to make for #BatWeek. Recipes here: http://batweek.org/wp-content/uploads/BatCelebrationCookBook-UPDATED2018.pdf

● Be a #BatHero and help protect bats in your own backyard. Tips to do so for #BatWeek are here: more here. http://batweek.org/can-make-difference/

● #Bat are wonderful, they control pests, are great pollinators and expert seed dispersers. Without them, we would not enjoy all the foods that we love. #BatWeek.

● I love #bats because [insert why you love bats here] #BatWeek

● My favorite place to view bats is [insert place to view bats, ej: a cave, a city like Austin, etc.] #BatWeek

● #BatWeek means seeing cute #bat pictures and learning how to protect them. [insert cute bat picture]

● Be a #BatHero! Save and protect bats for #BatWeek

Online Resources ● National Bat Week: https://www.batweek.org

● Forest Service:

o FSNatureLIVE educational adventures:

▪ BatsLIVE: https://batslive.pwnet.org/

▪ CavesLIVE: https://caveslive.org/

o Bats – Masters of the Night Sky: https://www.fs.fed.us/biology/wildlife/bats.html o Caves and Karst Program: https://www.fs.fed.us/geology/cavekarst.php o Bat pollination: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/bats.shtmlo Wings Across America – Bats: https://www.fs.fed.us/global/wings/bats/welcome.htmo Bats – White-Nose Syndrome: https://www.fs.fed.us/research/invasive-species/terrestrial-

animals/white-nose-syndrome.phpo The Trees Have Gone Batty! How Bat Scat Helped Restore a Tropical Forest:

http://www.naturalinquirer.org/How-Bat-Scat-Helped-Restore-a-Tropical-Forest-a-13.html o Forest Service bat safety: https://www.fs.fed.us/visit/know-before-you-go/bats

● Bat Conservation International https://www.batcon.org

● Organization for Bat Conservation https://batconservation.org/ #SaveTheBats

● White-Nose Syndrome: https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org

● Bat Squad! http://batweek.org/bat-squad-webcasts/

● Celebrating Bats cookbook http://batweek.org/wp-content/uploads/BatCelebrationCookBook-

UPDATED2018.pdf

News Articles to Share

● Los murciélagos, una especie incomprendida que brinda grandes beneficios al hombre (La Opinión) ● How nectar bats fly nowhere (Science News) ● Where Are there Bats in the Bay Area? (Bay Nature) ● To the Batcave: 7 Awesome Places to See Bats by the Millions (Geek.com)● Bats eat half their weight in insects every night (The Vindicator)

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