Staycation

Merlin is an absolute celebrity in the bat world, and this story lays out his ongoing persistence and self-education in order to bring him to the status of the most well-studied chiropterologist we know and love today.

The book begins with childhood memories of cave explorations with his father and details how Merlin builds upon this fascination for these creatures of the night through countless bat studies and world travel opportunities, as well as his career as a wildlife photographer. He shares how his love of capturing photos and his background in research allowed him to really get up close and personal with bats and make some of the most ground breaking discoveries in history.

Merlin’s excitement for bats transcends to the reader with each page and dwindles the societal fear of the small winged creatures. For the first time, bats are shown in such a wholesome and gleaming light that one cannot simply help but want to learn more. As with all environmentally centered novels, this one of course has a call to protect bats’ food and habitat sources, and to think about them more as a healthy addition to ecosystems instead of a nuisance. The importance of bats is thoroughly and beautifully conveyed in a way that makes the reader crave more interaction and inspires even novice researchers to chase their dreams in the name of science and for the longevity of planet earth. I myself was inspired by this reading to complete a small bat count of my own this past January.

Be sure to check out the TV program, “The Secret Lives of Bats,” and follow Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation social media profile for more information and upcoming events —> Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation Instagram 📸