Halloween is this weekend and that means ghosts, goblins … and maybe a few bats.

Bats have a spooky reputation but they’re very important to Minnesota’s ecosystems. If you want to learn all about these intriguing animals, the Minnesota Bat Festival is Saturday at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington.

Mammal ecologist Melissa Boman with the Minnesota Biological Survey helped put on the annual festival and shared more about it on Minnesota Now.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.