BatChat

S5E55 Sat in the entrance to a cave in Wales, hidden amongst temperate rainforest, Richard Crompton gives you his insight into the best way to go about getting your bat licence. Richard has been training ecologists for many years now with around 400 people coming to his courses over the years. In this episode you'll hear about the different bodies that give licences, the different levels of licences and what they allow you to do, which one you should aim for as a consultant ecologist and the sort of activities that are most useful. We also hear about Richard's journey into bat conservation and how he nearly took a job at the Bat Conservation Trust, before turning it down!Find Richard on twitter, Instagram and LinkedInRichard's Ecology on Demand websiteTraining courses from the Bat Conservation TrustWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E54 This week Steve sits down with Joanne Hodgkins, nature conservation advisor for the National Trust. Sitting in the hot August sunshine at The Vyne near Basingstoke, Steve finds out how the National Trust cares not just for it's special places, but for it's special wildlife. Jo explains how bats are now a day to day part of her role at the Trust, how bats are at the centre of most projects on their Estates and how bat groups are an important part of the story.Find the National Trust on twitter and InstagramBats at the National Trust webpagesBats and historic buildingsWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E53 This week we join David King who created the BatBox III and BatBox Duet detectors amongst several others for four decades. David tells Steve of how it all came about and they delve into the history of bat detecting, how the Bat Detective book and CD was created and we get an insight into his views on the future of technology used by ecologists and conservationists alike.  Find David on twitter and InstagramBatBox Ltd for their range of bat detectorsThe Bat Detective book and CDWant to find out more about bat detecting? Take a look at our guide.We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E52 Steve calls in to Canberra, Australia to chat with Dr Debbie Saunders.  For over 20 years Debbie has worked as an ecologist and studied the movements of small migratory birds. This includes the Swift Parrot, one of Australia’s most endangered birds.Like many small animals, Swift Parrots could only be tracked with tiny, very high frequency (VHF) radio-tags. This meant that in order to understand their movements, researchers would have to regularly trek vast distances with handheld receivers to search for each tagged bird, one at a time. But because the Swift Parrot is a highly mobile creature, tracking them on foot was a near impossible feat.Frustrated by the limitations of radio-tracking manually, Debbie was inspired to develop a practical solution with wide-ranging applicability. Wildlife Drones is now an award-winning start-up that is currently working with a range of people across Australia, the United States and abroad to track the movements of some of the world’s most endangered species, including bats.Discover more about Wildlife Drones and find them on twitter, facebook and Instagram~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E51 Join Steve in early summer on the Island of Jersey as he sits down with a trio from the bat group. In this interview we hear about the historic work of the group and the sort of survey work being done at the moment on the Island. With 18 bat species recorded on this 46 square miles of land just off the French coast, we hear there's still plenty more to be discovered. Discover more about Jersey Bat Group and follow them on twitter, facebook and InstagramWatch the Jersey Bat Project video. Hugh the Bat is the face of the campaign. He is named after the late Hugh Forshaw, who was a long standing member of Jersey Bat GroupDiscover your local bat groupWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E50 On the edge of Kidderminster lies Hurcott Pool and Wood Nature Reserve. An old boathouse on the edge of the pool has been repurposed by Worcestershire Bat Group and a few minutes away lies Lea Castle Village where the street lighting has been designed with bats at the forefront of its design. We join bat group members Cody Levine and Matthew Terry on a summer evening at the end of July. Watch a video of the boathouse on YouTubeDiscover more about Worcestershire Bat Group and follow them on twitter, facebook and InstagramTake a look at the Wyre Forest page on Hurcott.Read about the Lea Castle Village and how Worcestershire County Council are rolling out red street lighting across the county. Discover your local bat groupWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E49 This week we join BCT member Mark Ferguson who has just released his latest album; Walking With Bats. What does it sound like to go bat detecting? From start to finish, this question has underpinned Walking with Bats. Mark's main goal throughout the album's development has been simple: to transport listeners directly to the field, placing their ears where his are so they can experience the excitement of bat detecting through their own headphones.  Find the album on Mark's website or here on BandcampRead Mark's blog on the BCT websiteWant to find out more about bat detecting? Take a look at our guide.We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E48 Jersey Zoo in the Channel Islands is home to 90% of the world's captive population of Livingstone's fruit bats. With an estimated 1300 in the wild, this captive breeding programme is vital to the survival of the species in a disaster event. We join Dominic Wormell inside the bat enclosure as he explains how they care for the colony and how the bats are received by the visiting public.Discover more about the colony hereHave a listen to our other zoo episode from Chester ZooMore about the species on the BCI websiteWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E47 On the edge of the Cotswolds lies Lacock Abbey, home to Professor Quirrel's classroom and the Mirror of Erised. But whilst millions of people will recognise the Cloisters of the Abbey used in the filming of the Harry Potter franchise, a rather special spectacle can be found here once the sun goes down. A soprano pipistrelle bat roost hidden in the roof of Sharrington's tower is regurgitated each evening from the mouths of the gargoyles that surround the tower. We join Wendy Priest as she undertakes a count for the National Bat Monitoring Programme on a calm June evening. Follow Wendy on twitter and InstagramDiscover more about Lacock Abbey and follow them on twitter, facebook and InstagramTake a look at the Wiltshire Bat Group's website, twitter, Instagram and Facebook page.Find out how to take part in the National Bat Monitoring Programme yourselfDiscover your local bat groupWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S5E46 Hidden in west Dorset is a nature reserve which holds a very special secret. A bat box scheme which was installed in the late 1990's is home to one of the most well-studied colonies of Bechstein's bats. Join Steve as he spends the day with the Vincent Wildlife Trust and Dorset Wildlife Trust as they undertake one of their monthly inspections of the boxes, adding to this really important data which has been collected over the last quarter of a century. We hear from Patrick Wright, VWTs senior scientific officer about the history of the scheme and what new discoveries are being made, Steve Masters, Dorset Wildlife Trust's reserve ecologist who tells us why the woodland is such a special place and a familiar voice to regular listeners; Jim Mullholland who has recently joined VWT explains how the team are processing the bats as silver-washed fritillary butterflies swoop around the dappled sunlight hitting the woodland floor.Bats at the Vincent Wildlife TrustDorset Wildlife TrustDorset Bat GroupMaureen Keats dedicationWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E45 - Bonus! This summer, in a major new exhibition, you can see how documenting the animal world has resulted in some of humankind’s most awe-inspiring art, science and sound recordings: Animals: Art, Science and Sound is now open at the British LibraryPart of the exhibition is dedicated to darkness and Steve got to have a preview of what's on show a couple of days before the exhibition opened. In this interview with Cheryl Tipp, curator of Wildlife and Environmental Sounds, Steve discovers what can be heard in the exhibit as well as what bat recordings lie in the archive. Hear the recordings of horseshoe bats made on one of the first commercially available bat detectors; the Holgate Mk VI and you can see this detector within the exhibition along with photographs of the waveforms it could make from recordings. It sits alongside other important works such as Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur (Artforms in nature) with the plate of bats on display. Cheryl also explains how you can submit your bat recordings to the library for adding to the archive.The exhibition is open until Monday 28th Aug 2023. Tickets and all the information you need can be found on the Animals: Art, Science and Sound website.Follow Cheryl Tipp on twitter.Discover more about John Hooper on page 13 of this journal.Listen to the Holgate recordingWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E44 - Bonus! The landmark nature documentary series Wild Isles, presented by Sir David Attenborough is currently transmitting on Sunday's at 7pm on BBC One. The fourth episode "Freshwater" features a fabulous bat sequence, recorded in Yorkshire of the phenomenon of autumn swarming. Back in November as the series had entered picture lock, Steve went along to the offices of Silverback films to interview assistant producer Lily Moffatt who worked on the sequence. Lily explains how they captured the shots and what sort of effort goes into capturing such a sequence for a blue chip production.Discover how you can save our Wild Isles and visit the BBC's series website. You can also re-watch the episode on the Freshwater webpage.Get in touch with the show - comms@bats.org.uk - if you have a story to share, are doing a bat project or want to submit a piece of writing or poetry.We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E43 As series four comes to a close, Steve sits down with a titan of bat conservation. Dr Robert (Bob) Stebbings is one of the original bat workers in the UK and in this episode we hear about some of the major bat conservation work undertaken by Bob over the last half century. Make sure you follow the show so you get notified of our two bonus episodes which will go out before the next series. The first of those will be an interview with the team who made Wild Isles and you can watch the trailer for this upcoming landmark nature documentary here.Night Winged was written by Helen Ball and you can find her on twitter and Instagram.Get in touch with the show - comms@bats.org.uk - if you have a story to share, are doing a bat project or want to submit a piece of writing or poetry.We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E42 This week Steve joins Chris Damant in the grounds of Cliveden House on the banks of the River Thames. As fine dining takes place in the hotel above them, Chris and his team have set up traps to catch bats as they arrive to mate in the middle of the night. Underneath the south terrace are a number of rooms which mimic underground structures and its these that the bats travel to from far and wide to undertake an annual phenomenon, autumn swarming. Cliveden hosts one of the most important bat sites in the country, with eight species swarming here between August and October.Read more about the work Chris has undertaken at ClivedenFollow Chris Damant on twitter and instagramTake a look at our ROOST website that Chris mentions in this episodeBook your place at the Scottish or South-West bat conferencesLeave us a voicemail! Got a question for the bat community or want some advice? Whether you’re new to bats or a seasoned bat lover, we want to hear from you. Record your voice message here. Don't worry, you can hear it back and re-record it if you don't like it.Join the conversation with the hashtag #BatChatWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E41 Tony Hutson has been shouting about bats since the 1960's and has changed the bat conservation landscape in that time. He was a founding member of the bat groups of Britain, the precursor to the Bat Conservation Trust. His survey work on the lonely greater mouse-eared bat inspired a play and he's been on expedition to a remote cave with astronaut Neil Armstrong. Steve sits down with Tony in this episode to find out more about Tony's work.Read our news story about the discovery of the second greater mouse-eared batSussex bat group's website, twitter and instagramLeave us a voicemail! Got a question for the bat community or want some advice? Whether you’re new to bats or a seasoned bat lover, we want to hear from you. Record your voice message here. Don't worry, you can hear it back and re-record it if you don't like it.Join the conversation with the hashtag #BatChatWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E40 In this interview recorded right at the end of August 2022, Steve is sat in a Norfolk woodland with Dr Charlotte Packman. We learn what potential impacts a new road in the area might have on the local bat populations and as Lotty explains it could have a significant impact on a nationally significant barbastelle bat population. Lotty works for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) as their Conservation Scientist and the research discussed in this episode has been a collaboration between NWT, Wild Wings Ecology and the University of East Anglia. Lotty starts us off by introducing herself and describing where we are.Read the latest on the NDR from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.Read other news on the NDR from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.Our own position statement on the NDR is here.The Change.org petition can be found here.Listen to that other episode mentioned with Jane Harris at the incredible Paston Great Barn site.Since recording this episode the Norfolk Wildlife Trust have submitted a proposal to Natural England to consider the Wensum Woodlands for SSSI status. You can find that We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E39 Rodrigo Medellín is Mexico's very own 'Bat Man'. Since he first kept vampire bats in his bathroom as a child, Rodrigo has dedicated his life to saving them. On the evening of the 2022 UK National Bat Conference, Steve sits down with Rodrigo and asks him what it felt like to succeed in taking the lesser long nosed bat off the endangered species list and what it felt like to watch the bat volcano of Calakmul for the first time.National Geographic Explorer at Large Rodrigo MedellínRodrigo's twitter and InstagramBat friendly tequila brands We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E38 We return to London's Natural History Museum. This time however, we're in the bowels of the Diptera collection with flygirl herself, Dr Erica McAlister. If you think you recognise that name it's because Erica has graced the airwaves several times before including BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage and The Life Scientific. As you'll hear in this episode, Erica needs help from those of us who regularly handle bats. If you're a bat carer or a bat worker who undertakes bat box checks or trapping surveys, please start collecting all bat ectoparasites from bats and place them into vials of 100% ethanol. Make detailed notes about the species of bat they came from, the sex of the bat, located of ectoparasite & what the bat was doing at the time. A location & the habitat is also a must. As much info as possible! You can then post your specimens to:Dr Erica McAlister,Senior Curator; Diptera,Life Sciences (Insects Division),The Natural History Museum,Cromwell Road,London SW7 5BD.Your specimens will be added to the collection and your name will eventually appear in the We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Wildlife AcousticsWildcareDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E37 Haddon Hall, the private residence of Lord and Lady Edward Manners,  is set in the Peak District in the valley of the River Wye. With nine hundred years of history, it is one of the oldest houses in the country and moreover one of the only houses in England to have remained in one family’s ownership for its entire existence. In the corner of the Hall, a large soprano pipistrelle bat roost resides within the roof of the Chapel. Steve chats with Lord Edward about rewilding of the estate, his conservation work in Africa and the fact that he has to clear bat droppings from his desk each morning! Find out more about wilding of the Medieval Parkland as well as it's ecologyWatch a video of the roost on the Derbyshire Bat Group YouTube pageAdvice about bats in historic buildings from Historic England, the bats in churches project and from We've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.WildcareWildlife AcousticsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!

S4E36 You join us in a secret location this week. Back in 2019, Scotty Dodd from the Sussex Bat Group made the most significant discovery in the history of the bat group...the first maternity roost of greater horseshoe bats in Sussex for one hundred years. Truly the find of the century! In a small dry valley surrounded by beech trees, Scotty & Steve are sat in front of the run-down stable block as Scotty describes to Steve how he came across the roost and got the verification he was looking for.As you'll hear in this episode, the team need a lot of money to save this roost and improve it so that the colony has every chance of survival. So if you can,donate to the JustGiving appeal hereSee the roost on the VWT websiteSee what else the Sussex Bat Group get up to and follow them on twitterSend a voice message to BatChat! We want you to get in touch with your favourite bat experience. It doesn’t matter wWe've been selected by the Big Give for this year's Green Match Fund; every donation we receive up to £10,000 will be doubled. A huge opportunity to raise at least £20,000 for bat conservation. Donations must be received via the Big Give website between 18th - 25th April.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~👕We now have our own Merch!👚 Get your hands on the brand new range of BatChat clothing and tote bags at our tee mill store.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Google have announced they are discontinuing their app so we recommend making the switch to an alternative podcast app. Thank you to Wildlife Acoustics and Wildcare for sponsoring series 5 of BatChat.Visit wildlifeacoustics.com to learn more.Quote BATCHAT at the Wildcare checkout for 10% off all bat detectors and bat boxes.Wildlife AcousticsWildcareDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showPlease leave us a review or star rating if your podcast app allows it because it helps us to reach a wider audience so that we can spread the word about how great bats are. How to write a podcast review (and why you should).Got a story to share with us? Please get in touch via comms@bats.org.ukBats are magical but misunderstood. At BCT our vision is a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. Action to protect & conserve bats is having a positive impact on bat populations in the UK. We would not be able to continue our work to protect bats & their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever: www.bats.org.uk/donate Thank you!