What comes out when the sun goes down? On Saturday, answer that question as you discover the nature of Fort Laramie After Dark. Starting at 7:30 pm, join Park Ranger Ace Cuevas for “Bugs at Twilight” to learn about the twilight and night-dwelling insects at the post. As the sun sets, join ranger Clayton Hanson as he dispels myths about “Night Life at the Grand Old Post” whether bat or bobcat, porcupine, or pocket mouse.
As the sun begins to set and the shadows grow long, the day is just beginning for the twilight and nighttime residents of the High Plains. With the hot sun hidden beyond the Rockies, life can venture from their hiding spots and stretch their legs. All their legs, whether they’ve got four, or six, or more!
Starting at 7:30 pm, join Park Ranger Ave Cuevas for her presentation of the twilight and night-dwelling insects found at the post, and a discussion of the ways their lives tie into those of our bats and ourselves! Which bugs do bats eat, and how do the bugs try to escape them? What bugs come out at night besides mosquitoes? What’s this weird leggy thing I found in my bathtub? All these questions and more will be answered during “Bugs at Twilight!”
Following “Bugs at Twilight,” go for a walk for a walk – or a flight – on the wild side of the “Night Life at the Grand Old Post.” Whether the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus), the pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), or a dozen other species, thousands of winged mammals call the trees, bat houses, and historic buildings of Fort Laramie home. Watch – and listen – as they emerge for their nightly hunt.
But they are just one part of the throbbing activity of the fort after dusk. Discover some of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain mammals who hunt, forage, and travel at night. Whether bat or bobcat, porcupine, or pocket mouse – we’ll bust some myths as you learn about their importance for people and the natural world.
Park and program admission are free. Participants are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on, a light jacket or windbreaker, insect repellent, and a flashlight. Admission to the park is free. For more information contact the park at (307) 837-2221 or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/fola.