FORT LARAMIE – The doors are officially open at the visitor center at the Fort Laramie National Historic Site and events have been scheduled throughout the summer.

On Saturday, May 31 the public is invited to attend “Bats of the Fort” at 7:30 p.m.

“Visit the fort as the sun goes down to watch the bats take flight and meet the scientists who study them,” the invite reads.

“The bats have been here, we know, in these buildings since 1868 and more than likely preceded that date, but we have no record of it,” Casey Osbeck, fort chief of interpretation and visitor services explained. “Because after 1868 to 1890, every army doctor that went through here, their responsibility was to document the most history in a daily record – sunshine, overcast, temperatures, highs, lows, babies that were born, folks who passed on, as well as the flora, fauna, wildlife, bats and so forth.”

Osbeck noted the old fort little brown bats were mainly female.

“It’s a maternity column. The birdhouse, that single family dwelling with the Mansard roof, is the number one house that has most of them in there. When you go inside, there’s a significant smell of bat guano, more than a lot of other structures,” Osbeck said.

“Now, the bakery, to a certain extent, still has quite a bit of bats. In the 90s, when we used to bake bread in there, we would bake bread from Memorial Day to Labor Day and that replica oven would be going 24 hours a day. I think the bats always liked the cedar shingles and they liked the heat of that oven. We have a very expensive bat house across the river. They have taken adapt to it, but they still like the buildings. I think it’s, you know, I’m going to go from a Hilton to a Motel 6,” Osbeck chuckled. “They just don’t want to do it, you know.”

Osbeck noted the benefits of having such a large collection of bats.

“If you’re out here at night, I’ve always been amazed with the bats because you’d be out here at night and they’ll fly all around you. You have no issues with mosquitoes because these little bats are just everywhere,” Osbeck said. “The challenge in managing them, though is like the 1866 guard house is for the most part shut down now because we have so many bats in there and we can’t seem to – they’re just like mice. They get into anything.”

Osbeck explained Saint Joesph’s Children’s Home also had a collection of bats in their old barn.

“It’s just tricky management. I think that’s the dilemma that we have in the Department of Interior and the National Park Service because even though Fort Laramie is only 833 acres, I say only, compared to say Yellowstone, that’s several million or more. The confluence of these two rives is magnificent. That’ the DNA that unlocks everything but then even with 833 acres, there still is a wildlife component here,” Osbeck said.

Osbeck began explaining the variety of wildlife visiting the fort on a normal basis but the bats, they are something special.

“We have quite a few bald eagles that have nested on the Laramie (River). The bat situation is unique. We can’t uproot them necessarily but when it starts to impact the visitor experience, then that’s the tricky part,” Osbeck said. “I’ve grown up in Torrington. I was little a little tyke when I first started [coming] out here with my family. So, I’ve always remembered the bats through the years. But anymore, I’m almost, how do we mitigate this?”

On Saturday evening, along with the bats of the old fort, spectators will also have the opportunity to meet some of the biologists who study the creatures of the night.

“Now, this Saturday night, we will have some of our biologists. I think we’re going to have some National Park Service biologists, I hope, as well as from the University of Wyoming that will be here,” Osbeck said. “They’ll be able to give the folks sort of an overview of what we’ve got going on.”

Osbeck noted he wasn’t sure if any of the biologist would be speaking on the White-Nose Syndrome, a deadly fungal disease affecting hibernating bats but spending some time, after dark, at the fort could be enjoyable regardless.

“It gives folks an opportunity, the local community, for those that – you know, a lot of folks –I’ve always been intrigued at night because I think a lot of folks are – the ghosts and goblins out here. It is a different place at night. It’s very unique at night,” Osbeck explained. “What I would say is, that it’s more unique at night just because the darkness gives it a totally different tinge.”

Summer event schedule

In addition to “Bats of the Fort,” activities and events throughout the summer will include Independence Day celebrations on July 4. Spectators can join fort staff in games, a 21-gun salute, baseball living history and more while celebrating America’s independence.

July 18 through 20 the fort will be hosting “After the Military 1890 – 1938” where the public is invited to learn more about Civilian Conservation Corps, the settlers of Fort Laramie and early park history.

The fort will be hosting “Circle of fire: 1865 and lantern tours” on August 8 through 10.

“Experience life at the fort during Indian War of 1865 at this special living history event,” the invitation explained. “In the evening, take a lantern guided tour of the fort.”

“Astronomy night” will be held August 23 where the public is invited to bring telescopes to explore the night sky and learn about the universe. The “Traders and tribes” event date will be determined.

All events are free of charge to the public. The park is open from sunrise to sunset. The visitor’s center is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stop by and visit with the staff. Call (307) 837-2221 for more information.

Fort Laramie National Historic Site will host multiple events throughout the summer season. The bat population creates educational opportunities alongside management challenges for park staff. These creatures have inhabited the fort buildings since before official documentation began in 1868.

Summer programming includes Independence Day celebrations, historical reenactments, lantern tours, and astronomy nights. Events run from Memorial Day through Labor Day with free admission to all activities.

Park staff continue working to balance historic preservation with wildlife conservation. The bat management situation illustrates ongoing challenges at heritage sites nationwide. All summer events are scheduled to proceed as planned despite wildlife management considerations.