Bat Conservation

Many bat species declined dramatically during the later half of the 20th Century and some species are now quite rare and have restricted ranges. Much of this decline has been caused by the destruction of roost sites and habitat loss. There are many ways where we can help bats:

Roost Protection

All bat roosts are protected by law (see below). Many roosts are damaged during building works, sometimes seemingly minor repairs, such as repointing a ridge tile, may prevent bats from using a roost which they may have used for many years. If works are planned on buildings where roosts are known, please contact Natural England (see links) before proceeding.

Schwegler 2FN bat box. The bats really favour these boxes. They are made of woodcrete.

Roost Creation

Carefully sited bat boxes can provide good roost sites. The bat group has for many years monitored bat boxes across the county. These boxes provide roost sites for pipistrelles, brown long eared, noctule bats and Leisler’s bats.

From 2019 to 2025 NBG ran a project making bat boxes of various designs. Over 400 were made and put up in 22 new sites.

In addition to boxes we have veteranised some trees to add features resembling natural cracks or lifting bark. If done on the north side of trees they can provide effective hibernation sites.

Protection of winter hibernation sites

Bats are extremely vulnerable to disturbance during the winter when they are hibernating. Repeated human disturbance causes bats to use up valuable body resources and may result in them failing to survive the winter. Some of the bat boxes are designed for hibernation by using thick wood and attaching to the north side of trees. This reduced temperature fluctuation giving a cool moist environment in which to hibernate.

Some structures used by bats in winter are inaccessable to humans but others have open access and are vulnerable to disturbance and vandalism. The bat group monitors an artifical bat hibernaculum in Rushcliffe County Park which is used by brown long-eared bats. We are currently working with 2 organisation to help develop new hibernacula.

Raising awareness, interest and knowledge

Bats are nocturnal and elusive creatures often excaping peoples notice. By having stalls at green and biodiversity events, facilitating bat walks, giving bat talks, working with schools and youth groups we can raise awareness and spread information about bats.

Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) have leaflets focussing on various aspects of bats the most popular of which are Stars of the Night, Encouraging Bats, What Bat is That? and posters such as Make your garden a bat haven, Amazing Bats, and Bats and Trees Poster.

BCT also have downloadable materials for use in education.

Stall at Cotgrave Country Park open day

Bat crafts at Mattersey Church 2025

Bat Walks

Bat walks with us allows the public to engage by listening to bats on bat detectors and by seeing the bats flying by the use of thermal cameras.

Below you can hear the bats on a heterodyne detector and see Daubenton's Bats flying close to the water and gleening insects from the water surface. Higher up soprano pipistrelles are zig zaging around catching insect higher in the air and along hedgerows. White is hot.

Bats and the Law

All UK bat species are protected under law, being listed on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (WCA) 1981 (as amended), and further protected under Schedule 2 of the Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations (CHSR) 2017 (as amended), making them European Protected Species (EPS).

Taking the WCA 1981 and CHSR 2017 together it is illegal to:

Deliberately kill, injure or capture any wild animal of EPS;
Deliberately disturb wild animals of any EPS in such a way to be likely to significantly affect:
The ability of that species to survive, breed, rear or nurture their young; or
The local distribution of that species.
Recklessly disturb an EPS or obstruct access to their place of rest;
Damage or destroy breeding sites or resting places of such animals;
Deliberately take or destroy the eggs of such an animal;
Possess or transport any part of an EPS, unless acquired legally; and/or
Sell, barter or exchange any part of an EPS.

Some bat species are also Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 /UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) priority species and local BAP species. Section 40 of The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (NERC) 2006 places a legal duty on Local Authorities to conserve biodiversity. Section 41 (S41) sets out a list of 943 species and Habitats of Principal Importance. These species are known as England Biodiversity Priority (EBP) species and are those identified as requiring action under the former UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) and which continue to be regarded as conservation priorities under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.

Protected and NERC/UK BAP/local BAP species are a material consideration under the NPPF (MHCLG, 2025).

If the otherwise illegal act was the incidental result of a lawful operation and could not reasonably have been avoided. However this defence can only be relied on (other than in the living area of a dwelling house) if the Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation (SNCO), i.e. Natural England, the Natural Resources Wales, or NatureScot was notified about the proposed action and allowed reasonable time to advise as to whether it should be carried out, and if so, how.