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AERIAL DANCERS Dusk was falling, and it seemed that time was suspended. The concerns of the day were past and the ones of tomorrow didn’t exist yet. Reveling in the moment, I settled in to watch the evening’s performance of the aerial dancers. Looking up into the warm spring sky, I watched the dancers twist and turn, changing directions in midair as they sped forward and back, up and down. The bats were coming out to feed! I have always been an advocate of bat conservation—not only are they fascinating but as the earth warms, insects are becoming more and more plentiful. Bats feed on hundreds of thousands of tons of insects yearly. If you don’t enjoy mosquitoes buzzing around you—then employ the most environmentally safe and effective way to rid yourself of them—bats! All four types of bats in central Virginia are insect eaters and can consume 600 to 1,000 mosquitoes per hour. Bats are integral to pest control and maintaining a healthy environment. You can ensure they stay around