Hey everyone, it’s Brandon Perry — normally behind the soundboard at Good News from Planet Earth at Soundnectar Studios. But today, stepping out from the shadows to talk about one of his absolute favorite creatures: bats.

Bats are spooky, mysterious, and completely misunderstood — but they’re also essential night-shift pollinators keeping ecosystems alive. Over 500 plant species worldwide rely on bats for pollination or seed dispersal, from bananas and mangoes to figs and agave. While bees sleep, bats swoop through the night, pollinating flowers that bloom only in the dark and even helping regenerate forests.

Here’s a spooky-good twist: without bats, your mezcal and tequila could disappear. Agave plants evolved to bloom at night, feeding the migratory lesser long-nosed bat. No bats, no pollination. No pollination, no agave reproduction — and that’s scarier than any Halloween tale! Thankfully, conservationists and farmers are protecting bats with “bat-friendly tequila,” letting them feed and pollinate naturally while supporting biodiversity.

Bats face serious threats, from habitat loss and pesticides to white-nose syndrome, but long-term monitoring, federal pollinator strategies, and protected migratory corridors are helping. Every bat that makes it through the night shift is quietly saving forests — and our favorite foods and drinks.

Of course, bats have a PR problem. They’re symbols of vampires, Halloween, and spooky nights. But in reality, they’re more like essential workers — the graveyard shift keeping ecosystems and human treats alive.

And since bats keep mezcal alive, Brandon is sharing his personal Spooky Pollinator Mezcal Cocktail at the end of the episode. Pour yourself a drink, and let’s toast to these incredible, misunderstood night-shift heroes.

So next time you see a bat silhouetted against the moon, don’t think bloodsucker. Think pollinator, forest gardener, and mezcal guardian. Cheers to the bats!

Narrated by Brandon Perry from Voiceover for the Planet.

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Produced by Ally Murphy and Anne Cloud

Sound Designed and Mixed by Brandon Perry at Sound Nectar Studios

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