There are no published lessons in this course yet.
Interested in bats? Working towards your bat licence? This 2 day course will cover many of the essential elements required to get a bat licence, as outlined in the Bat Worker’s Manual. This is an intensive introduction for future bat workers.
Course Description:
This introductory level 2 day course will be part classroom and part field based and will be taught by an experienced bat ecologist from Ecology Training UK.
Day 1- Bat Ecology And Conservation
- Bat species in the UK, their habitats and distributions
- Bat taxonomy and relationships to other mammals
- Bat biology including adaptations, life strategies, senses, physiological specialisations.
- Bat food and feeding, echolocation
- Bat seasons and diurnal rhythms including social behaviour, colony formation, roost sites, hibernation, maternity colonies.
- Bat conservation – threats to bats including habitat loss, loss of roosts, pesticides and persecution
- Bats and the law – legal status and licences
- Training for your bat license
- Bat ID in the hand (PowerPoint and bats/keys)
- Evening bat survey and use of basic detectors
Day 2 – Bat Survey Techniques
- Health and safety – in and around buildings, night work
- Bat droppings and other bat signs
- Assessing buildings – bat potential, bat signs, seasonal use (site visit)
- Case studies
- Bat activity surveys
- Emergence surveys
- Frequency of survey
- Looking at maps and aerials to assess foraging and commuting routes
- Presenting your findings
- Use of bat detectors and other equipment
Please note that in order to successfully apply for a bat licence you need to have a high level of survey experience and knowledge. This course aims to provide you with a good background knowledge of bats as you work towards your bat licence, but you will also need to put a lot of your own time and effort into achieving this.
Location:
The course will be held at the Carymoor Environmental Centre, Dimmer Lane, Castle Cary, Somerset BA7 7NR
Venue directions are provided within your account ‘Courses’ tab after booking.
What to bring:
You will need to bring a packed lunch. Further details about appropriate equipment and clothing will be provided in a ‘what to bring’ list within your account ‘Courses’ tab after booking.
Timings:
On the first day the course will start at 10 am. In the evening we will meet for a meal (optional) and a bat survey that will finish during late evening (depending on sunset time). On the second day the course will commence at 9:30am and finish at around 4:00 pm.
“Jam packed with useful and interesting information for anyone starting a career in bat ecology”
“I really enjoyed learning about bat ecology and dealing with many different scenarios.”
“I have had a couple of replies from local consultancies and I am due to go out on some training surveys with them and hopefully get registered as a subcontractor if all goes well. Just wanted to say – thank you so much! I would never have had the confidence to go for it without the knowledge and encouragement that you have shared, and I’m really looking forward to attending more courses this spring and summer!”
“Thank you again for a fantastic course, I had a really great time learning more about our bats!!”
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