The Bat Night has taken place every year since 1997 in more than 30 countries on the last full weekend of August.
Nature conservation agencies and NGOs from across Europe pass on information to the public about the way bats live and their needs.
Bats play an important part in keeping balance in nature. They consume insects that spread disease and damage crops. Bats use their echolocation to eat over 1,000 mosquitoes in a single hour. Bats help distribute plants by passing seeds through their feces. The spread of Guano seeds through bats is the main factor for tropical rainforest reforestation.
Long associated with all things dark and creepy, bats are in fact a friend of man. International Bat Night sets out to dispell the myths and point out that bats are mostly harmless to people.
In 2021 the International Bat night is on 28-29 August.