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Bats, buildings and biodiversity… a new course starting next month will bring together these three elements as experts teach local building professionals about how bats use buildings too.
Jersey Bat Group is teaming up with the government to raise awareness of how the built environment can better cater for bats and other wildlife with a free, multi-part course about bat ecology and biodiversity.
The group – which monitors and protects local bat populations – is running the free course in conjunction with the Growth, Housing and Environment (GHE) Department to educate building professionals about ways to enhance the built environment for bats and other wildlife.
The course is divided into two parts. The first – ‘Bats for Building Professionals’ – is an introduction to bat ecology, how the animals use buildings and the law which protects them as a species. This is followed by a practical activity where the group will examine some buildings for potential roost features before going on a bat walk.
Pictured: The course is separated into two parts.
The second part of the course focuses on ‘Designing for Biodiversity’ which explores some of the ways in which the built environment could adapt to better suit bats and other wildlife.
The course will be run by Jo Ferguson, who is the Built Environment Manager at the Bat Conservation Trust, and has an extensive background in ecological consultancy, as well as conservation and research.
Chairman of the Jersey Bat Group Dr Amy Louise Hall said that they are “delighted” to be partnering with the Bat Conservation Trust and GHE to deliver this course.
She said: “Bats are a protected species and it is important to consider them when building new developments or renovating an existing property. Moving forward, it is vital that all developments fully consider biodiversity during the initial design process to integrate wildlife-friendly features into our built environment.
“This course is designed with this in mind and we are delighted to be able to provide this training for free for the benefit of both bats and other protected species in Jersey.”
The course, which runs from 12:00 on Thursday 6 June until 13:00 on Friday 7 June, will include both theoretical and practical elements. Participants will each receive a certificate of attendance and they are welcome to join either part of the course which is more relevant to them.
The workshops will take place at the Société Jersiaise Member’s Room. Tickets and more information are available on the Bat Group website.
Pictured top: A young bat captured by the Jersey Bat Group.
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