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valleysentinel.com SeVenTy-FiVe CenTS
november 2012
SPOTLIGHT
Sustainable wine and art in Danville By Staff Writer
On Thursday October 25th AuburnJames in Danville held an event to celebrate the introduction of the 2008 AJ Napa Valley Artist Series Meritage wine. A painting by Alamo artist Linda Nearon was unveiled at the event to introduce the first in their Artist Series, as the painting, “Spring in Niles” was chosen to represent this release and is on the labels. Matthew Ospeck and winemaker James Frost love art and wine, and the 2008 Napa Va l l e y A r t i s t Series Meritage is a signature B o rd e a u x blend created by winemaker Jim Frost that exemplifies the 2008 vintage.
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More than 50 people attended Save Mount Diablo’s Lot 25 dedication which included a hike along the creek to the property and to the top of the parcel to take in the view. Photo by Scott Hein, heinphoto.com. Please see story on page 6
Bats common and beneficial in Contra Costa By James Hale
Editor’s note: With the recent report of a death from rabies caused by contact with a rabid bat in southern Contra Costa county, (story page 4) we asked James Hale to give us some background and information on bats and their various species, and to also remind readers that all wildlife should be left untouched when found. Bats are one of our most misunderstood animals. They are thought to be mysterious creatures of the night, souls of the dead, and blind, rabid creatures that commonly become entangled in peoples’ hair. In fact, bats are an extremely beneficial wildlife species whose considerable collective consumption of night-flying insects results in fewer agricultural pests and annoying mosquitoes. Bats have been flying mammals for perhaps 60 million years or more
and are highly specialized in both physiological structure and behavior. The power of flight allows some species to avoid inclement weather by migrating to more favorable conditions. In Babylonia bats represented the souls of the dead. In China they were symbols for happiness and long life. To the ancient Mayans, they were symbols of initiation and rebirth. To the medieval peoples, they were miniature dragons. Native Americans believe the bat is powerful medicine, always indicating initiation - a new beginning that brings promise and power after the changes. From a naturalistic view, bats are not sinister. They play a valuable role in nature. Most bats feed on insects, with the fruit and nectar-feeding bats being essential to the pollination of many plants.
Their waste product, guano, is also used as a valuable fertilizer. The high nitrogen content of guano made it useful in the manufacture of gun powder. Contrary to popular belief, a University of Calgary study of bats in North America, shows that the percentage of bats that are rabid, regardless of species or where the bats roost, is less than one half of 1%. Individuals of some bat species can capture 500 - 1,000 mosquitoes in a single hour, with large colonies consuming tremendous quantities. For example, a Florida colony of 30,000 southeastern bats consumes 50 tons of insects annually. Approximately 80% of Little Brown Bats living in the northern United States and Canada eat mosquitoes. Worldwide other bats are adapted to feed on fish,
This month’s Special Sections:
Holidays page 11
frogs and other resources. The Vampire Bat of Central America, a bat responsible for many of the misconceptions, laps blood from their host after making small incisions to a blood vessel. There are about 850 species of bats worldwide, almost one quarter of all mammals on the planet. Thirty-nine species occur in the United States with 25 found in California. Bats are second only to rodents in both diversity and number of individuals. Weighing
Senior Living pages 7-10
See BATS page 4