Meet the Scientist: Dr. Kristen Lear
Bat Conservationist & Science Communicator
National Geographic Explorer, AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador
Dr. Kristen Lear is a bat conservationist working around the world to protect bat species through research, community engagement with conservation efforts, and public outreach. She got her first taste of bat conservation in 6th grade when she built and installed bat houses for her Girl Scout Silver Award project. Since then she has worked with bats in places like Texas, Australia, and Mexico, and now works at Bat Conservation International as an Endangered Species Interventions Specialist coordinating the organization’s Agave Restoration Initiative for endangered pollinating bats in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico. Kristen is a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts, National Geographic Explorer, and AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador working to inspire the next generation of women in STEM. Kristen also loves talking with people about bats and regularly leads bat workshops, evening bat walks, bat house building workshops, and kid’s activities. She even designs bat-themed clothing to share her passion! Learn more about Kristen at https://kristenlear.wixsite.com/batconservation/ or follow her on social media (Instagram: batsforlife_kristen and Twitter: BatsForLife).
© E. Gomez-Ruiz, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, 2017
Kristen got her start in bat conservation at age 12, when she built and installed bat houses for her Girl Scout Silver Award project. Kristen loves to talk to kids about bats!
She also passionate about science communication and empowering the next generation of scientists, and am thrilled to be an IF/THEN Ambassador supporting women and girls in STEM/STEAM. I welcome opportunities for presentations and speaking engagements, as well as opportunities to share my experiences as a woman in science and discuss science careers, so check out her IF/THEN profile!
Check out Kristen’s Explorer Classroom with National Geographic Explorers here
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Challenge:
Draw a picture of a bat and something the bat would need to live (insect, nectar) and where they would live (tree, cave).
Take a picture of your creation.
With your parents permission, send us one of your pictures via email at podcast@solveitforkids.com OR
tag us on our Twitter or Instagram account @kidssolve
If you send in your challenge OR just leave a comment below about the episode, you will be entered into a giveaway to win a FREE copy of the book listed below.
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FREE Book Giveaway Contest for this Episode!!
The Bat Scientists by Mary Kay Carson (Author), Tom Uhlman (Photographer) – HMHKids
Dr. Merlin Tuttle and his colleagues at Bat Conservation International aren’t scared of bats. These bat crusaders are fascinated by them, with good reason. Bats fly the night skies in nearly every part of the world, but they are the least studied of all mammals.
Book List:
Bats: A World of Science and Mystery by M. Brock Fenton (Author), Nancy B. Simmons (Author) — University of Chicago Press
Bats: An Illustrated Guide to All Species by Marianne Taylor (Author), Merlin Tuttle (Photographer)– Smithsonian Books
The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World’s Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle (Author)– HMH Kids
National Geographic Readers: Bats by Elizabeth Carney — National Geographic Kids Books
