Bat Fest provides an opportunity to build community and to celebrate a culture of collaboration for environmental and social justice. Not only does the Festival give us a chance to come together to have fun, but it also offers a welcome disruption from our standard routine, bringing local environmental groups and community members together to share joy in the process of learning about nature. The Festival also acts as an important social glue for Saved By Nature: not only raising crucial funds for the following year’s programming but staff meet new people, and in the process, they are given the opportunity to learn more about their community and their interests. We chose the date for the Festival to mark the beginning of Bat Week in October, an international, annual celebration designed to raise awareness about the need for bat conservation.