Deer crossing

Your chances of hitting a deer with your car stand at 1 in 173 in Colorado. And most incidents happen in October, November and December, when deer migrate and mate. The number of deer-vehicle crashes in Colorado is up 8.1 percent from five years ago, State
Farm Insurance says.

State Farm offers these tips to avoid hitting a deer:

• Be aware of posted deer crossing signs.
• Remember that deer are most active from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Use high beam headlamps at night to watch for deer entering a roadway.
• Remember that deer travel in herds - if you see one, others are probably nearby.
• Do not rely on car-mounted deer whistles. They don't work.

Catamount fundraiser

The 2nd Annual Catamount On Tap fundraiser will be 5:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 24, raising money for the Catamount Institute's mission to inspire ecological stewardship. The event will be at One World 2 U, 101 S. Sahwatch St., a specialty store owned by Jacqueline Lundquist. Fifteen percent of store sales that weekend will benefit the institute.

Tickets are $35 per person. There will be Bristol Brewing Co. beer and food from Nosh, Picnic Basket, Adam's Mountain Café, Garden of the Gods Gourmet, BBQ Mercantile, and Remember Us Catering.

For information and to RSVP: eitel@catamountinstitute.org, 471-0910, ext. 107, or visit www.catamountinstitute.org.

Mentor of the dark

In time for Halloween, the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center will offer a free program about bats at noon Wednesday. Bat educator Jeanne McElderry will talk about "this misunderstood mentor of the dark." Reservations required, call 219-0108.