We invite you to a free screening of an award-winning documentary highlighting the fight to save North American bats on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Burlingame Community Center at 850 Burlingame Ave. in Burlingame. There is no charge for admission, but pre-registration is required at https://tinyurl.com/BatCrisis. You can watch the trailer at https://tinyurl.com/BatDocumentary.

Just in time for Halloween, “The Invisible Mammal” focuses on the plight of several species of North American bats now at risk because of a deadly fungal disease called White-nose Syndrome (WNS) and a team of women biologists determined to rescue these rapidly vanishing species. After a screening of the 90-minute film, filmmaker Kristin Tièche will offer insights and answer questions about a strategy called Operation Fat Bat, pioneered by women scientists, that could rebuild healthy bat populations across North America.

Bats save U.S. agriculture billions of dollars in pesticide use each year, and the decline of bat populations is linked to an increase in infant mortality where these pesticides are used. Since 2006, WNS has decimated bat populations across 37 states and Canada, killing approximately 7 million bats.