Sodalis Nature Preserve
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Hannibal Parks and Recreation will offer two opportunities for participants to see bats at sunset at Sodalis Nature Preserve. Night hikes will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 12, and Saturday, Oct. 19. Both hikes will be led by Gale Rublee, a nationally certified interpreter guide with more than…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Indiana bats are starting to settle into their hibernacula, the caves at Sodalis Nature Preserve where they spend the winter. The “Bats are Back” night hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, sponsored by Hannibal Parks and Recreation. Interpreter guide Gale Rublee, a nationally certified interpreter…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Hannibal Parks and Recreation is offering “Twilight Transformations,” a night hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9. Nature educator Gale Rublee, who leads the Parks and Recreation nature programs, said in a press release, “Let’s explore nature’s nocturnal adaptations. Some flowers bloom at night to attract moths,…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Hot summer days are the perfect setting for nature programs at Sodalis Nature Preserve. A night hike at Sodalis Nature Preserve, Bats Eat Bugs, will be offered at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 26. Sodalis Nature Preserve was acquired by the city of Hannibal almost 10 years ago to conserve the abandoned mines…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — The latest bat census at Sodalis Nature Preserve confirms its place as the country’s most important hibernation spot for Indiana bats, with an estimated 222,129. This is an 8.7 percent increase from the last survey which was conducted in 2022, when researchers documented a total of 204,368 Indiana bats. Every two years,…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Volunteers are needed beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday to help maintain existing trails and build a new trail at the Sodalis Nature Preserve. The work project is being organized by Martin Meyer. Volunteers should meet at the shelter at Sodalis Nature Preserve. They should bring things such as shovels, rakes, hoes, loppers,…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — “Momma Bats and Baby Bats” will be the theme for a night hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10. The hike will be led by Gale Rublee, interpreter guide at Hannibal Parks and Recreation. Participants will meet at the new Sodalis shelter on Ely Street. The full program…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Bird watchers have to get up early for the best opportunities to see and hear the most species. An “Early Bird Catches the Worm” walk will be held beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 27, at Sodalis Nature Preserve. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars. In a press release, Hannibal Parks and…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — “Where Oh Where Have the Little Bats Gone?” will be the theme for a night hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, April 12. April is the best time of the year to observe bats since the bats are starting to come out of hibernation. Participants will meet at…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Sodalis Nature Preserve now offers a shelter house to have reunions, picnics and other events. Sodalis Nature Preserve was acquired by the city of Hannibal in 2016, the result of work by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, The Conservation Fund and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation to…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — A Night Hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, will give participants the chance to appreciate nature as the season changes. Representatives from the Mississippi Hills Master Naturalists will lead the hike. The full night hike program lasts approximately two hours and follows a two-mile paved trail. The…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Sodalis Nature Preserve provides a habitat for a variety of animals and several different species of bats. Habitats will be the focus of the night hike at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, at Sodalis Nature Preserve. The full night hike program lasts about two hours and follows a two-mile paved trail. Representatives…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — A night hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve, lasting approximately two hours along a two-mile pave path, is planned for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 12. The female bats at the preserve are in their maternity colonies, preparing to give birth this summer. Should the trail and parking lot become inaccessible, the hike will…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Bat scientists will be at Sodalis Nature Preserve on Tuesday, April 11, capturing bats for two studies on the behavior and health of different types of bats. Anyone interested in observing the bat netting and study is welcome to gather at Sodalis Nature Preserve near the top of the paved trail at…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Hannibal Parks and Recreation will offer a night hike at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 31 through Sodalis Nature Preserve as bats that hibernate all winter are starting to wake up. The program will last approximately two hours and follow a two-mile paved trail. Volunteer representatives Meagan Garey and Kristy Trevathan from…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Sodalis Nature Preserve will be the site for a nature program from 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24. This “Nature Adventure” family program will explore “magic spots” at Sodalis Nature Preserve. Gale Rublee, Hannibal Parks and Recreation nationally certified nature educator, will play interactive nature games with the youngsters. The program is recommended…
Read Full Article EDITOR’S NOTE: This event has been cancelled. HANNIBAL, Mo. — The “Evening Exploration” night hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve will start at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26. Hannibal Parks and Recreation interpreter guide Gale Rublee will lead the night hike. “Using our senses, we’ll explore the Sodalis’s seasonal sights, sounds, smells and feel of things,”…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Bats aren’t the only wildlife to be found in Sodalis Nature Preserve. A night hike to explore “Creatures of the Night” will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 8. Hannibal Parks and Recreation interpreter guide Gale Rublee will lead the night hike. In a press release, Rublee said, “Many animals come out…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Their summertime glow is familiar, and their quiet presence adds to the magic of evening walks, but most don’t know that the firefly flashes and accompanying movements are used for courtship. Hannibal Parks and Recreation is sponsoring free family-friendly nature programs on Friday, June 10, and Friday, June 24, to celebrate fireflies.…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Bat biologists are celebrating the news the number of endangered Indiana bats at Sodalis Nature Preserve has increased almost 20 percent. The bat census at Sodalis, conducted in February 2022, confirms its place as the country’s most important hibernation spot for this species with an estimated 215,296 Indiana bats. Vona Kuczynska, biologist…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — The bats that hibernate all winter in Sodalis Nature Preserve are starting to wake up and become active. A night hike through the preserve led by Gale Rublee, nature educator for Hannibal Parks & Recreation, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday. “When exactly do the bats start leaving the old lime kiln…
Read Full Article October is Bat Appreciation Month, and people have three opportunities to take part in night hikes through Sodalis Nature Preserve. • 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1 • 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15 The night hikes, called Bats are Back, are scheduled for participants to see the bats at sunset. The hikes will take place at…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — The benefits of bats are many, and participants will learn about them at 6:30 p.m. Friday during a night hike through Sodalis Nature Preserve. Bats are essential to many ecosystems, ranging from rainforests to deserts, and are a boon to agriculture. Bats disperse seeds and pollinate hundreds of species of plants. Because…
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