Acorn Ecology Ltd

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. An outline of the course content is given below.

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.

If you would like to do a more advanced course about Bat Mitigation, please follow this link.

Other details:

Where: The course will be based at our training centre at The Granary, Westpoint, Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ. In case you need to stay overnight, we have provided a list of local accommodation.

Date: Thursday 6th-Friday 7th September 2012 (N.B. Course in July is now fully booked)

We will arrange additional dates according to demand. If you are unable to attend this date and would like to be informed about upcoming dates, please e-mail us at info@acornecology.co.uk.

Timings: On the first day the course will start at 10:30 am. In the evening we will meet for a meal (optional) and a bat survey which 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.

Price: The price of the course varies according to your situation: £200 (standard fee); £160 for unemployed/full time students/full time volunteers; and £260 if your organisation is paying. This fee covers tuition only. Prices are inclusive of VAT.

How to book: You can book on-line by clicking the 'Buy Now' button below and selecting the appropriate rate. Alternatively you can complete the attached form and send a cheque or request an invoice.