Bat Conservation Ireland

🌱🦇GARDENING FOR BATS🦇🌱 We are delighted to launch our Gardening for Bats project. Support bats in your own backyard! 🗓 FRIDAY 31ST JANUARY @ 7.30PM The project came from a question we are often asked by members of the public ‘What can I do for bats?’ The truth is, there is a lot anyone with an outdoor space can easily do for bats. With this project, we aim to: - Create resources for gardeners to help them make bat and wildlife-friendly decisions when gardening. - Provide signage, printed materials and resources for garden centres to help customers choose bat friendly trees, hedging and herbaceous perennials, as well as ponds and other features. - For Irish plant nurseries we will provide ‘I’m bat friendly’ labelling for Irish grown, native hedging and tree stock, as well as labels for herbaceous perennials that support nocturnal pollinators. Thanks to support from The Heritage Council 👉Want to learn more and how to get involved in our project? 💻Join us for a special online event where we will introduce our new resources and answer all your wildlife gardening questions with the help of our panel of experts - book tickets 👇 https://lnkd.in/eZp_E2CC

🦇HAVE A NATTER(ER)🦇 We are delighted to announce our webinar series is back for 2025. We will continue to share bat related research, projects and stories from Ireland and around the world. If you missed the talks in 2024, you can watch them on our YouTube Channel Playlist from Friday 10th January: https://lnkd.in/edeU8sYF

We are looking for a new trustee with communication and marketing experience: https://lnkd.in/es_M_hiA For more information or to apply, please email admin@batconservationireland.org

We're #hiring a new Trustee with finance experience. Apply today or share this post with your network.

HAVE A NATTER(ER) Free Webinar We are delighted to welcome Tina Wiffen to our final webinar of the year! Tina is the editor of the online British Islands Bats journal and active member of Northumberland Bat Group and Dorset Bat Group Tina's work made headlines in 2018 with the discovery of the largest pipistrelle hibernation site in the UK: https://lnkd.in/eP5JQqyX In this webinar, Tina will share her experiences of hibernation surveys and how she found this record roost site. To register, please go to: https://lnkd.in/ezBBFDWm Have a Natter(er) webinar series was introduced as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations this year. We are delighted to announce that we will continue the series in 2025.

🎉 Exciting news! We're thrilled to launch A Beginner’s Guide to Bat Surveying – a collaboration between Dr. Niamh Roche of Bat Conservation Ireland and Alex Konieczka from Understory. 🐾 This guide is designed to support your involvement in bat surveying and conservation. It's packed with tips on identifying species, using bat detectors, and understanding the vital role bats play in ecosystems ✨ With stunning illustrations and easy-to-follow advice. 💻 Download the free PDF at https://lnkd.in/eMTviAjW, or get printed and digital copies at www.understory.ie/shop. 🙏 Special thanks to the @National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for their support. 🌍 Join us in learning more about Ireland's bats! Bat Conservation International Bat Conservation Trust Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ireland Environmental Science Association of Ireland ESAI Greystones Tidy Towns Community Foundation Ireland Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Department of Rural and Community Development

🦇A Beginner's Guide to Bat Surveying🦇 We’re delighted to share the release of 'A Beginner’s Guide to Bat Surveying' a collaborative effort by Dr. Niamh Roche, Bat Conservation Ireland, and Alex Konieczka, founder and director of Understory. Inspired by Understory’s 2023 'Joy of Bats' project in Wicklow, this guide was created to empower communities to engage in bat surveying. By bridging the gap between professional resources and beginner-level engagement, we aim to enhance public participation in nature recording and support vital conservation efforts for Ireland’s bat populations. This accessible guide covers everything from identifying bat species and conducting surveys to effectively using bat detectors. It also explores the role of bats in ecosystems, their lifecycle, and the challenges they face—showing how everyone can contribute to their protection. Enriched with stunning illustrations and photography, the guide is both practical and visually engaging. 📖Get Your Copy Today! 👉Download a free PDF https://lnkd.in/ePyjUEWh 👉Get printed and digital versions at understory.ie/shop. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for their generous support of this project.

HAVE A NATTER(ER) Free Webinar We are delighted to welcome Tina Wiffen to our final webinar of the year! Tina is the editor of the online British Islands Bats journal and active member of Northumberland Bat Group and Dorset Bat Group Tina's work made headlines in 2018 with the discovery of the largest pipistrelle hibernation site in the UK: https://lnkd.in/eP5JQqyX In this webinar, Tina will share her experiences of hibernation surveys and how she found this record roost site. To register, please go to: https://lnkd.in/ezBBFDWm Have a Natter(er) webinar series was introduced as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations this year. We are delighted to announce that we will continue the series in 2025.

AOIBHEANN GAUGHRAN AWARD WINNER We are delighted to announce the winner of the award is...... Dr Kate McAney 🎉 Congratulations and thanks for everything you have done and continue to do for Irish bats 👏🦇 Kate McAney Vincent Wildlife Trust Dark Sky Ireland

AOIBHEANN GAUGHRAN AWARD We had the pleasure of announcing the nominees and winner of the Aoibheann Gaughran award at The Bat Ball on Saturday. This award honours the memory of Aoibheann Gaughran who was a devoted conservationist, volunteer and integral member of Dublin Bat Group Aoibheann’s enthusiasm, energy and commitment inspired all who met her and she is very sadly missed by loved ones, family, friends, colleagues and everyone who knew her. A very special thank you to Aoibheann’s family & friends for their support of this award. Big thank you to She Summits for organising a fundraiser for us in loving memory of Aoibheann on 6th October. This award characterises Aoibheann’s legacy of commitment, fun, energy and enthusiasm which she brought to every aspect of her conservation work. The spirit of the award aims to capture that commitment, leadership, hard work and community building which have made a difference to the world of Irish bat conservation and helped bring people together to achieve this goal. Each of the six individuals nominated for this award has dedicated so much time and has worked tirelessly for years to help protect and conserve bats across Ireland: - Paul Scott - Susan Kerwin - Kate McAney - Enda Mullen - Oisin O'Sullivan - Donna Mullen Any one of these nominees would be highly deserving of this award and we really didn’t envy the judges in their task trying to come up with a winner!