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A brown long-eared bat Bridges for bats Bechstein’s bat at
hunts over water. Finemere Wood.
(Kim Taylor/NPL) Major infrastructure (Susan Makepeace)
projects usually mean
severe impacts for wildlife.
The High Speed 2 rail link,
which will run the length
of Buckinghamshire, is
no exception. From the
moment the project was
first proposed BBOWT has
worked hard to reduce
its potential impacts and
negotiate substantial
improvements.
One of our biggest
successes is securing better
protection for one of
Britain’s rarest mammals,
the Bechstein’s bat, which
lives in ancient woodland
either side of the proposed
route. Evidence presented
by the Trust to the House
of Commons Select
Committee, set up to hear the concerns of those affected by the proposals, was
instrumental in securing five ‘green bridges’ within the Bernwood Forest where the bat
is found.
The bridges will be planted with two parallel hedgerows comprising native species.
Planting at each end will link this vegetation with the surrounding habitat, encouraging
bats onto and safely across the bridge. Crucially, the research we presented means that the
planted area of each bridge will now be 30m in width rather than 12m as originally planned.
of Bernwood, shelters some (Mechanold Dolly) Is your garden bat-friendly?
of the country’s most north-
easterly population of the rare Turning your garden into a haven for bats is easy. Plant flowers
Bechstein’s bat. This species in a range of colours, shapes and fragrances to attract a variety
is so hard to find it was only of insects for bats to feed on. Flowers with a strong night-time
discovered by members of scent will draw in insects at precisely the time bats head out to
the local bat group when new feed, while flowers with a single ring of petals tend to produce
monitoring techniques were more nectar than those with extra petals. Ponds are also a big
developed for the first national draw for insects, as are log piles, open compost heaps and
distribution survey. purpose-made insect hotels.
Finemere Wood and Bat boxes offer artificial homes where natural sites are not
Bowdown Woods have both readily available. Position them in a sheltered spot, close to
been the focus of bat box natural features such as a hedge and where bats are known to
studies. By recording how bats feed. It won’t be long before bats set up home to roost.
use these artificial roosts, bat
group members can inform Fmionrdeout Bat detectors bring
conservation strategies. a bat walk to life.
Participants on bat walks at n Learn more about bats and how (Emma Bradshaw)
Loddon Nature Reserve to make your garden bat friendly,
in Berkshire have been or download instructions to
enthralled by the amazing make a bat box at bbowt.org.
sights and sounds of tens uk/node/16369
of soprano pipistrelles and
Daubenton’s bats fluttering all n Join one of our regular bat walks,
around them. complete with bat detector! For
up-to-date listings visit
This summer, treat
yourself to a glimpse of these bbowt.org.uk/whats-on
remarkable animals darting n Wild About Gardens Week runs
and flickering into the dark.
from 24–30 October and this
year focuses on bats. Head to
wildaboutgardensweek.org.uk
August 2016 13
