We had a wonderful time celebrating Austin’s bats and Merlin’s 82nd birthday during our annual Merlin Tuttle Day event and our member appreciation cruise! Merlin shares his special thanks to everyone who was able to join us and participated. For those of you who weren’t able to come, please enjoy these selected photos from both events and plan to celebrate with us next August!
Thank you to all who have submitted birthday wishes via videos, messages, posts, and donations. Merlin was delighted to hear from you!
Special thanks also to Capital Cruises for donating their boat; to Tacodeli for the iconic food; to Voodoo Donuts for the excellent sweet treats; to HEB and Central Market for donating decorations and drinks; Desert Door Texas Sotol for delicious local sotol, and to all of you for recognizing and supporting Merlin’s incredible efforts and the impact that can only be accomplished with the generous support of many!
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TEDx Talks recently released the video of Merlin Tuttle’s fascinating presentation about bats at TEDxUTAustin’s seventh annual conference, held on March 23rd. During his presentation,
On October 16th, Merlin spoke before a sold-out crowd as part of the First Wednesdays lecture series at the Aquarium of the Pacific. We had
Thanks to all the Join the Nightlife: Bats and Agriculture attendees who joined us out in the field this year! Guests got hands-on experience with
Fieldwork requires a lot of equipment, but photography requires even more! During our June 2024 photography workshop, we transported over 100 lbs. of equipment —
2024 © Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation. All rights reserved.
Madelline Mathis has a degree in environmental studies from Rollins College and a passion for wildlife conservation. She is an outstanding nature photographer who has worked extensively with Merlin and other MTBC staff studying and photographing bats in Mozambique, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Texas. Following college graduation, she was employed as an environmental specialist for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. She subsequently founded the Florida chapter of the International DarkSky Association and currently serves on the board of DarkSky Texas. She also serves on the board of Houston Wilderness and was appointed to the Austin Water Resource Community Planning Task Force.
Michael Lazari Karapetian has over twenty years of investment management experience. He has a degree in business management, is a certified NBA agent, and gained early experience as a money manager for the Bank of America where he established model portfolios for high-net-worth clients. In 2003 he founded Lazari Capital Management, Inc. and Lazari Asset Management, Inc. He is President and CIO of both and manages over a half a billion in assets. In his personal time he champions philanthropic causes. He serves on the board of Moravian College and has a strong affinity for wildlife, both funding and volunteering on behalf of endangered species.
