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Bats are valuable pollinators Episode CCX - 210
Island Insight is about native knowledge, transcenden-
tal wisdom regarding Aruban millenarian heritage, up-
holding the cultural identity in each of its weekly epi-
sodes, sharing education, and encouraging readers to
experience a true and authentic island state of mind.
During this episode, we want you to meet some
amazing creatures that often represent death in the
sense of letting go of the old and bringing in the new
but are generally seen as symbols of transition, initia-
tion, and the beginning of a cycle. While some as-
sociate these particular mammals with darkness, evil,
witchcraft, and death, for others they are symbols of
diligence, of imparting wisdom, and of being reborn
because they dive into dark caves early in the morn-
ing and are reborn every night leaving their shelters.
Let’s learn how important and valuable they are as
pollinators.
The pre-Columbian culture displayed the bat as one
of their legendary gods. They are often part of the
paintings and drawings of older times. Bat figures are
also found in prehistoric artwork and stone work like national park, long-nosed and long- been extracted as guano from caves
pendants or pottery. People are often fascinated tongued bats are perfectly adapted and used as fertilizer.
with bats. In fact, one of the largest tourist attractions to pollinate these plants, providing ex-
in Austin, Texas, is where more than 1.5 million bats tensive value to the biosphere. So the As bats were very important to the ear-
roost during the summer months. More than 100,000 next time you see our agave in bloom, ly settlers of Aruba, incorporating these
tourists come to this area annually. The truth is that say thank you to the bats. Insectivo- flying mammals into artistic expressions
a healthy population of bats is crucial for a healthy rous bats feed on insects from sunset stands as testimony at the Etnia Nativa
ecosystem, maintaining a balance in the fragile bio- until the darkest hours, saving islands living-art museum.
diversity of our island and providing incalculable ben- that annually import millions of Aruban
efits as they are great pollinators that basically feed guilders worth of toxic pesticides. There The unique museum-home empha-
on the flowers and fruits of columnar cacti that bloom are fewer insects when bats are around sizes promotion, encouragement,
at night, as well as agave flowers and other plants. that hunt insects, and there are fewer and education regarding valuable
Approximately eight different species of bats have insect pests that cause damage to Aruban heritage assets to protect.
been identified in Aruba: insect-eating bats, fruit-eat- vegetables and garden plants. If out- Understanding decoration as a com-
ing bats, and nectar-eating bats. door farming is to become the next big municative instrument, its designs and
thing, farmers won’t have to invest as productions start from the moment the
Several species of Aruban bats eat nectar, and many much in pesticides and will build roost- owner/artist locates the right source to
types of plants endemic to our ecosystem depend ing boxes for bats to welcome them to extract the same raw earth material
on bats for pollination and seed dispersal, such as the stay and spread while collecting their that would have generated the prod-
quebedexi and the huliba tree, agave species, the guano fertilizer. A bat eats up to three ucts according to the procedure of
candelabra cacti such as cadushi, cadushi plushi, times its weight in an average night! It the ancestral inhabitants of the island,
and breba, etc. Throughout the island and in our is also good to know that bat dung has who used, among other techniques,
local clay for their ceramic vessels and
ritual objects. If you want to know all
about our island, plunge yourself into
Etnia Nativa and live the native effect,
absorbing ancestral knowledge inside
a gorgeous property and its tours con-
ducted by its owner using art works,
objects, artifacts, and historical famil-
iar furniture dating from 1640 before
Dutch occupation and explaining the
story of Aruba. Thus, by visiting Etnia
Nativa, you will help share the locals
concerns for conserving this fragile
travel destination, and your mind will
change from observer to conservator.
Highly recommended!
R.S.V.P. etnianativa03@gmail.com or
WhatsApp (no calls) +297 592 2702.q
