(From the Hancock County Naturalists)

The Hancock County Naturalists will host their next monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at Oakwoods Nature Preserve, 1400 Oakwood Ave., Findlay. The evening’s featured program will focus on bats, with guest speaker Scott Butterworth, district manager for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Butterworth will share general information about bats, then spotlight species native to Ohio and their importance to the ecosystem.

Butterworth grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Science and a Master of Science in Wildlife Management from Penn State University. He worked for the West Virginia Wildlife Resources Section for nearly a decade, including time with the Nongame Wildlife Program. Since 1997, he has served with the Ohio Division of Wildlife and is now the District Manager covering 20 counties in northwest Ohio from the District Office in Findlay.

Membership and events are open to those aged 15 and older. Annual membership fees are $15 per adult, $20 per couple, and $10 for youth. For more information, contact Jane Riker at 419-306-3697 or emaggin117@aol.com. The group’s website is hancockcountynaturalists.org.

The Hancock County Naturalists, a membership organization, was established to further the study of the fauna and flora of Hancock County and the surrounding area and to participate in selected conservation and educational projects.