S2E21 Chester Zoo is the most visited zoo in the UK with over 2 million visitors a year. It's also a conservation and education charity committed to preventing extinction. The fruit bat forest in the Twilight Zone exhibition is a fantastic visitor experience; Steve joins Dave White, the manager of the Twilight Zone, who explains how it's also used as an insurance population for the endangered Rodrigues fruit bat Pteropus rodricensis which is only found on the island of Rodrigues. Dr Claire Raisin the field programme coordinator for Madagascar and the Mascarenes explains how island-wide bat surveys which started in the mid-1990s are helping Chester monitor the nine main roost sites in Rodrigues. And finally we meet Helen Bradshaw the Estate Ecologist who amongst her many roles manages the native bat species roosts across the 250 hectare Estate opened in 1931 by George Mottershead.

Find out more about the project at Chester:

• Fruit Bat Forest
• Stories to Save Species in Rodrigues
• Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and their Facebook Page
• Follow Dr Claire Raisin and Helen Bradshaw on twitter
• Find out more about the Nature Reserve at Chester Zoo

Join the conversation on social media using #BatChat:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S2E20 Steve joins Helen Ball and other members of Staffordshire Bat Group as they undertake a winter hibernation survey for the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP). Recorded in February 2020 in the Staffordshire Peak District, they undertake the latest survey of disused lead mines searching for bats deep in torpor.

Helen reveals what it's like to undertake the survey (it's a VERY steep hillside!) and what sort of things you're likely to find in old mine adits. Apart from the bats - lots of bats - there's other wildlife down there too and the surveys have revealed just how important the site is for the bats of the Peak District.

Find out more about Staffordshire Bat Group:

• https://www.staffsbats.co.uk/
• @staffsbats
• @derbyshirebats

The NBMP hibernation surveys: https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme

The Big Bat Skills Event Online is back this February - Book Now!
https://www.bats.org.uk/events/big-bat-skills-event-online

Join the conversation on social media using #BatChat:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S2E19 The Bat Conservation Trust is a small conservation charity but undertakes a vast amount of work in their aim to conserve bats. During the runup to Christmas, Steve spoke with their Chief Executive Officer, Kit Stoner, to find out what it's like to run a small but busy charity, the current challenges and whether she manages to get out and do bat work in her spare time after work! 

• Follow Kit on twitter
• Find out more about the upcoming British Bat Survey
• Discover the work we do

Join the podcast conversation on social media using #BatChat:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S2E18 In November 2019 before the word Coronavirus had become all-too familiar, the Scottish Bat Conference was taking place in Perth. In this episode Steve speaks to Liz Ferrell BCT's Scottish bat officer, Sue Swift who published the authoritative work on long-eared bats and Tracey Jolliffe who has an interest in zoonotic diseases and discusses bats and rabies. 

• Book your place at the 2021 Scottish Bat Conference here
• Find your local Scottish bat group here
• Follow Liz Ferrell on twitter
• Follow Tracey Jolliffe on twitter
• Browse second-hand copies of Sue's monograph on long-eared bats here

Tell us what your favourite encounter with long-eared bats has been online by using #BatChat

Join the podcast conversation on social media using #BatChat:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S2E17 The weather has certainly got chilly in the last few days, but back in late October, it was still mild and Steve visited a bat colony which was still in residence in its summer roost. He meets up with Helen Parr, community engagement officer for the Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project. They discuss how the project has been received by the community over the last five years and what achievements its had whilst wandering around the countryside of the south-west, visiting the habitats that the largest Greater Horseshoe bat colony in western Europe relies on to thrive.

So tune in and discover how this National Lottery Heritage Fund project has been giving a helping, er...wing, to the Greater Horseshoes of Devon.

• Loads of info about the project, including live cameras, here: http://devonbatproject.org/ 
• Their twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels
• Devon Bat Group
• Vincent Wildlife Trust

Join the podcast conversation on social media using #BatChat:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S2E16 Winifred is the Chief Scientist at Bat Conservation International as well as an associate research professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

In this episode, Steve finds out about the discovery Winifred made about the ecology of Pallid bats whilst undertaking her PhD out in the deserts and chats to her about her work as a key scientist in the efforts to research the effects of White-Nose Syndrome, informing long-term management actions.

The two WNS websites Winifred mentions:

• https://www.batcon.org/our-work/research-and-scalable-solutions/white-nose-syndrome/
• https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/

Follow Dr Frick on twitter: @FrickWinifred

Join the conversation on social media using #BatChat:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S2E13 Remember seeing bats over your garden years ago and suddenly realised that they've vanished over time? Wildlife garden landscaper Joel Ashton reveals how you can help attract bats to your greenspace by greening up a fence and planting certain species to increase insect diversity which in turn will provide your local bats with a buffet! At the Bat Conservation Trust we have a vision of a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together and Joel is helping achieve that vision, one garden at a time. So tune in and discover how to get bats reappearing against the evening skies of your home.

• Joel's book 'Wild Your Garden': https://www.hazelwoodlandscapes.com/ is available from your local bookseller.
• Follow Joel on social media: @_joelashton and @Butterfly_bros
• Videos available on his YouTube site

Join the conversation on social media using #BatChat:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S2E14 A camping trip in the New Forest was the first sighting of bats that broadcaster, naturalist and writer Chris Packham had. He became the president of the Bat Conservation Trust in 2006 and in this episode recorded during the 2020 lockdown, Steve Roe asks Chris what it was about the Trust that made him want to become President. Chris tells us about the time he had serotine bats flying around his house whilst watching a European cup final and reveals some of the bat encounters he's had during his career as a television presenter.

As Halloween is nearly upon us we’re challenging people to take part in the great British #BatBake: https://www.bats.org.uk/news/2020/10/join-in-this-halloween-with-the-great-british-batbake

To discover more of the bat groups around the UK, head to the bat group pages on the Bat Conservation Trust website: https://www.bats.org.uk/support-bats/bat-groups

Join the conversation on social media using #BatChat:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S1E13 In this bonus episode recorded during the UK lockdown, we have two guests on the show. Tom August is a scientist based at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Lisa Worledge is Head of Conservation Services at the Bat Conservation Trust. They talk to Steve about the interest that bats are currently getting in the press around the origins of the current COVID-19 pandemic, what bats can teach us about future pandemics and how some bat species have been practicing social distancing far longer than we have!

Resources mentioned in the episode include:

• FAQs around Bats and Coronaviruses: https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/bats-and-disease/covid-19-and-bats 
• Good Practice Guidelines for Bat Rehabilitators: https://cdn.bats.org.uk/pdf/Resources/Bat-Groups/COVID-19-GPG-for-Bat-Rehabilitators_01May2020.pdf?mtime=20200501123411&focal=none
• The Sunrise/Sunset Survey: https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme 
• How to build a bat box: https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/buildings-planning-and-development/bat-boxes
• How to find your local bat group: https://www.bats.org.uk/support-bats/bat-groups

Bats are magical but misunderstood mammals. At the Bat Conservation Trust we have a vision of a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. We know that conservation action to protect and 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 and their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever. To donate please go to: www.bats.org.uk/donate  Thank you!

If you've got a great bat project or story to tell that you think other listeners would love to hear, drop us an email at [email protected]

Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode and let us know if you enjoyed the episode on social media using #BatChat:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!

S1E12 This week we have two guests on the show. Hannah Van Hesteren is one of the Helpline Managers at the Bat Conservation Trust. She talks to Steve about the vital work the Helpline does each summer when it takes hundreds of calls each day from members of the public who have found an injured or grounded bat.

Gail Armstrong was the recipient of the Pete Guest Award in 2019 for her outstanding practical contribution to bat conservation. Over the last 25 years, Gail estimates she's cared for 800 bats to date in North Lancashire. She discusses what it is about bat care that's so important to their conservation.

To support the Helpline, head to their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/BatHelplineNeedsYou

Bats are magical but misunderstood mammals. At the Bat Conservation Trust we have a vision of a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together. We know that conservation action to protect and 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 and their habitats without your contribution so if you can please donate. We need your support now more than ever. To donate please go to: www.bats.org.uk/donate  Thank you!

If you've got a great bat project or story to tell that you think other listeners would love to hear, drop us an email at [email protected]

Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode and let us know if you enjoyed the episode on social media using #BatChat:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatConservationTrust/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_BCT_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/batconservationtrust/

For more bat news, head to our website https://www.bats.org.uk/

Producer: Steve Roe @SteveRoeBatMan
Cover Art: Rachel Hudson http://rachelhudsonillustration.com/info

Support the show

Please 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 [email protected]

Bats 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!