Bat, Moth & Ag Walk & Talk event on Aug. 2 at 8:30 p.m.

Come learn about bats and moths in Phillips County and their importance to agriculture.

The program will highlight the different species of bats and moths found in Phillips County, and the important relationships between them and local plant communities.

Moths are a major food source for bat species, and it's being discovered that they are also key pollinators for many of the crops grown in Phillips County, Montana, (alfalfa, mustards, peas, cover crops, etc.). This is especially important due to increasing interest in using cover crops as a part of managing soil health.

Organizers will set up a light screen to attract and illuminate moths, and mobile bat recorders to identify bats.

Speakers include Nicole Hussey, non-game biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; and Mat Seidensticker, executive director and lead researcher for the Montana Moth Project. Hussey hosts bat walks across Montana's Hi-Line, and Seidensticker conducts moth sampling across the state. Through its partnership with the Gilette Museum at Colorado State University, the Montana Moth Project owns the largest collection of Montana moths.

Besides discussing the connections among bats, moths and agriculture, Hussey and Seidensticker will describe their efforts to protect bats and moths.

The event is hosted by the Bureau of Land Management, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Montana Moth Project.