BCT is excited to announce a new two-year project to help some of Britain’s rarest bats and most precious woodlands in North Wales, with a special focus on Celtic rainforests and the rare species lesser horseshoe bats.
‘Gobaith Coetir – Woodland Hope’ will run until March 2025. Our work will focus on priority sessile oak woods, alder alluvial forest, bog woodland and their bats. All 15 bat species found in Wales use woodland for roosting, foraging or commuting.
Woodlands are vital for conservation, however, Wales has one of the lowest covers in Europe, at around 15% compared to an average of 38% across EU countries. Welsh woodland Sites of Special Scientific Importance (SSSI) and Special Areas of Conservation [SACs] have not been well monitored, but an assessment in 2020 suggested at least 80% of them are in unfavourable condition.
Bats serve as indicator species for wider ecological health, because by being highly sensitive to environmental change they act as signals for the health of general wildlife and woodland habitats.
The project will use recent low-cost AudioMoth technology, involve and upskill the local community in citizen science, work with local partners and make it possible to monitor woodland bats in innovative and collaborative ways. This project will then advise on bringing woodland health into recovery.
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Posted On: 13/02/2023