Who Controls the Pests? Ecology Challenge
Create two farm models, one with owls and bats, one without.
Small mammals & prey- No prep
Create two farm models, one with owls and bats, one without.
- Students remove “pest” cutouts to represent natural predation
- Track which farm stays healthiest
- Discuss how wildlife reduces the need for pesticides
This activity highlights the real-world benefits farmers gain from coexistence with nocturnal predators.
Where it comes from
Whether it’s the soft swoop of an owl or the flutter of a bat at dusk, the night sky is full of quiet workers doing essential jobs. These animals may be easy to miss, but their ecological impact is enormous.
Fun fact: A single bat colony can devour hundreds of tons of insects in a summer, naturally reducing pesticide use and keeping crops healthy.
Together, bats and owls form a powerful ecological duo, one controlling insects, the other managing rodents, all while keeping ecosystems in balance.
Read the blog post ↗ Nighttime Nature Heroes: How Owls & Bats Help Our Ecosystems (and Why They Need Us) · 2025-11-14
Workspace
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The class
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Notes as you go
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