Twelve keen participants attended our Introduction to Bat Surveys, the first in the Professional series of training for ecologists provided by The Ecology Consultancy team. The day was packed full with information, including planning policy and protected species legislation.
Dr. Sarah Yarwood Lovett, our lead trainer, had brought in two pipistrelles to demonstrate correct handling technique. She also ran through the checklist for building and tree inspections.
A ‘field’ trip to the Red Cross Garden, to look at Victorian houses and trees, and to St. Georges Church to search the nooks and crannies for signs of bat activity, taught the group the practical aspects to consider. All this on our doorstep in London SE1!
Sarah Nicholas and Huw Bramwell, also bat ecologists at The Ecology Consultancy, led sessions on echolocation and sonograms. The day was rounded off with a tough exam which included the identification of bat species by their poo!
