NEW MATERIALS: Nur Atiqah Abd Rahman from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia has produced some new materials in Malay as part of an outreach program in Tasik Chini, adapted from MBCRU materials in English. She gave a delightful account of the activities in an article here
Anda vs Kelawar Slide (with template for students …. Jadual Perbandingan Kelawar dan Manusia)
Isham Azhar and Faisal Anwarali Khan have produced a very nice poster of the Bats of Penang National Park available for download: Penang Poster (powerpoint)
Materials developed by the Malaysian Bat Conservation Research Unit comprise a mixture of new materials and those adapted from existing activities. You can download as pdf, or, to enable you to adapt the scenarios to your situation, as word documents.
The Malaysian Bat Party Pack – a comprehensive guide for teachers, parents, educators to hold a fun but educational three-hour children’s workshop (or Bat Party). The workshop is designed for childred aged 7-12, and the pack includes basic information about Malaysian bats, detailed descriptions of activities, how to make the relevant materials (templates inlcuded, suggested dialogue for facilitators, and tips on how to organize the event. The pack can be used in it’s entirety to hold the complete party, or the activities can be individually integrated into existing outreach programs. Produced in 2005. Malaysian Bat Party Pack (word document). Malaysian Bat Party Pack (pdf document)
BATS Poster – Highlights the diversity of bats in Malaysia. MBCRU Bat Diversity Poster (pdf) MBCRU Bat Diversity Poster (pptx)
Bat Comic – Part of the Party Pack, but provided here separately as well. It follows the story of an insectivorous bat called Gema and covers the importance of bats as pollinators, seed dispersers and agents of pest control. A crossword, word search and maze problem test comprehension of the issues. High resolution format available on request. MBCRU Comic – Gema’s Home (pdf)
BATS Leaflet - a simple leaflet highlighting the diversity and importance of bats, with a few basics on bat ecology and myths. Provided as two pages, but designed to be double-sided and folded into thirds. MBCRU Bats Leaflet (pdf)
Bat Math – explore bat biology and conservation through math exercises. Solutions and facilitator notes provided. MBCRU Bat Maths (doc) MBCRU Bat Maths (pdf) Bat Math 1: A Natural Pesticide. Uses math to illustrate how insectivorous bats are important agents of pest control. Bat Math 2: Tons of Food. Illustrates the quantities of food that bats need to eat to support their metabolism. Leads into a Natural Pesticide, or suitable for younger students. Bat Math 3: Life Statistics. Shows how bat reproductive biology can lead to slow population recovery after disturbance. Bat Math 4: Bats in Rainforests. Just how many bats are there in a rainforest? Based on trapping data at a research site in Peninsular Malaysia.
Bat Games & Activities - games and activities that explore aspects of bat biology and conservation. Get the blood and creative juices flowing! MBCRU Bat Games (doc) MBCRU Bat Games (pdf) Game 1: Bat-Moth. A classic game demonstrating how bats use echolocation to finding insect prey. Game 2: Where’s My Baby. A game illustrating how mother bats find their offspring in maternity roosts, using a combination of spatial memory, vocalizations and olfaction. Activity: Camping Bat Style. A creative way to find out how some bats make tents from leaves. Activity: Bat Fruit Salad . How to put together a simple salad comprised of fruits pollinated and and/or dispersed by bats to provide both refreshment during activities and to illustrate the critical role that bats play as seed dispersers and pollinators. Role Play Activity: Saving Batu Caves. For older students or adults, this is a role play activity to illustrate how different stakeholders perceive a conservation issue, specifically cave exploitation for limestone. MBCRU Saving Batu Caves (doc)MBCRU Saving Bat Caves (pdf)
Bat Signs and Projects – Catching and handling bats requires a lot training and should only be undertaken as part of a research program organized by an experienced scientist. BUT that doesn’t mean that nature groups or students can’t observe and learn about bats, and even design a project of their own. The following three projects are suitable for students over 14 yrs old and adult naturalist groups. Each project starts simply, and the provides suggestions on how to develop the project over a longer time period. The projects require little equipment, although ‘Project 1: Aerial hunters’ is enhanced by the use of a bat detector. MBCRU Bat Signs and Projects (doc) MBCRU Bat Signs and Projects (pdf) Project 1: Aerial Hunters. A simple assessment of the diversity of insectivorous bats hunting in your neighbourhood. Project 2: Finding Fruit Bats. Details how to look for signs of fruit bats foraging or roosting, and then develops investigations of diet. Project 3: Monitoring Roosts. Describes a protocol for counting bats as they emerge from large, relatively permanent roost sites (like caves and buildings). Can be used to monitor populations over time.