You Say Potatoe, I Say Potatoh

Get down and dirty at the 11th Annual Great Air Potato Roundup. On Jan. 30, volunteers will make a party of removing the air potato, an invasive exotic plant that is known to smother and harm natural vegetation. Following the roundup, a celebration will be held at 1pm at Citizens Park, 1100 block of NE 14th St., filled with food, entertainment, prize drawings and a guest speaker, who will discuss the importance of removing air potatoes. “This is not just a volunteer event, but also a family-friendly one that educates the public,” says Ludovica Weaver, the marketing technician at Morningside Nature Center. “The celebration is a way to thank the community for all of their hard work.”

Volunteers are asked to bring their own buckets for collecting the air potatoes and to dress appropriately for the outdoors. Upon registering, volunteers will be assigned to a site where they will gather air potatoes from 9am to 11am. Space is limited, so register quickly at Nature Operations. Call 352-334-3326 for more information.

- Michelle Profis

Get Batty at the Florida Annual Bat Festival

Get in the Halloween spirit while exploring the environmental benefits of bats—yes, you read that right. According to Lubee Bat Conservancy curator Brian Pope, bats play an important role in pollination and seed dispersal. However, bats are highly susceptible to extinction, so the Florida Annual Bat Festival, now in its fifth year, provides education and information about conservation.

Among other things, Lubee houses fruit bats with wingspans of five to six feet, and they will be on display at the festival. Food, drinks and merchandise will also be available at this free event that last year drew more than 1,400 people.

Brian says the event connects with the local community to show what Lubee does.

“Our goal is to make it the premier festival of North Central Florida,” he says.

The festival is tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 10), from 10:30am to 3:30pm at the Conservancy (1309 NW 192nd Ave.).

—Kate Ashby
PHOTO: Susan Mulder