Please see below for the latest news in the bat world.

29th October 2025

BCT seeks fun new collective nouns for bats!

BCT write:

A group of bats can be called a colony, a cauldron, a cloud or even a camp but with 1,500 bat species worldwide (and 18 right here in the UK!), we think it’s time to get a little more imaginative. Surely our brilliant bat species deserve some names as unique as they are?
After all, why should birds and other mammals have all the fun?

As Bat Week comes to a close and Halloween approaches, help us choose new collective nouns for four of our UK bat species! What should we call a group of common pipistrelles, of noctules, Daubenton’s bats or brown long-eared bats? Cast your vote on this form: https://forms.office.com/e/dmHqN3gp7M by the 26 November and share far and wide. You can also let us know your favourite names in the comments.

23rd April 2025

BCT requests help with advocacy regarding Planning and Infrastructure Bill

BCT write:

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will begin the committee stage of its passage through parliament tomorrow (Wednesday 24th April 2025). Further to our last email, we are reaching out to London Bat Group again in the hope you will be able to contact your MP once again and ask your supporters to also do so. There is still time to make a difference.

We have prepared a briefing document and a list of five suggested amendments – including two amendments BCT has developed that still need an MP to officially table them. These are the minimum required to limit the damage the Bill will have on bat populations. Without these changes, the Bill will undermine years of conservation progress.

Please share the briefing documents and amendments with your MP and ask them to support all the amendments and consider tabling amendments 1 and 5 (please do let us know if they agree to do so). Our news piece contains further details and also has a template email that can be used to contact your MP.

Thank you for your help – together, we can make a difference.
Bat Conservation Trust

21st April 2025

BCT Referral Scheme – two online Focus Groups participation (paid) in May 2025 – sharing views on nature and conservation

At BCT we are looking for people to join two online focus groups. They need to identify as being from a minority ethnic background and have not previously taken part in wildlife recording or volunteering. The latter would probably exclude LBG members themselves but if you know anyone who fits the bill and might be interested it would be great if you could send them the message below (in italics). Participants in the focus group will each receive £75 and if you manage to refer someone who participates you will receive £25 as a thank you.

If you think you might be able to help then check your groups.io email for more information, and register using this form before 30th April.

April 15th 2025

Pete Guest Award 2025 Nominations are open

BCT has announced that nominations are open for the Pete Guest Award 2025:

Dear bat group member,

We are pleased to let you know that we are now accepting nominations for the Pete Guest Award 2025. The Pete Guest Award is presented annually to individuals who have made an outstanding practical contribution to bat conservation. The award is presented in memory of Pete Guest, who was an inspirational figure in bat conservation for more than 20 years. Details of the award are on the BCT website.

The criteria for the award include dedication, innovation, enthusiasm and inspiration in making a difference, both to bats and to people, and helping make BCT’s vision become a reality. Previous winners can be seen on the webpage above.

Nominating someone for the 2025 award
If you would like to nominate a fellow bat worker for the 2025 award, please email their name, bat group/organisation, email address, and importantly a statement of support (see note below) to batgroups@bats.org.uk. Please also include your name and bat group in the email.

Please note: Nominations cannot be accepted without a statement of at least 250 words on why you think the person deserves the award (relating back to the criteria stated above). Previous year’s statements of support can be seen here.

Deadline for nominations: By 9am on Monday 16 June 2025.

Voting for a winner
A list of nominees and supporting statements will be circulated to all bat groups and posted on the BCT website by 27 June 2025. Voting will be done through an online form and is limited to one vote per person. Voting will close at 9am on Monday 18 August 2025.

Announcement of Winner
The award winner will be formally announced at the National Bat Conference, 5-7 September 2025. The award winner will also be invited to give their acceptance speech again at the free-to-attend online Bat Workers Forum, date to be confirmed.

Kind regards,
Abby Packham (she/her)
Bat Groups Officer
Bat Conservation Trust

31st March 2025

Request for Help!

Are you able to help with a London Bat Group stall at Wandsworth Park Eco Fair on Saturday 10th May 2025? It would be from Noon until 4pm. The Wandsworth Park Friends group are keen to have the bat group take part. Several members came along last year to share their knowledge & experience – which was much appreciated.

If able to help out, please check your groups.io email for details and who to contact.

28th March 2025

BCT’s Kit Stoner article on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

BCT CEO Kit Stoner has written a piece reflecting on the latest developments of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

17th March 2025

BCT response to government statement on Planning and Infrastructure Bill

BCT has written a response to the government’s latest statement on housebuilding and infrastructure projects being slowed by bat protection.

They also provide a guide on how to contact your MP.

28th February 2025

BCT blog by London Bat Group Member

The second blog in a series about people who dedicate their time to help bat conservation is written by Tommy, and London Bat Group member. We hope you enjoy reading about Tommy’s experience with London Bats!

24th February 2025

South East Regional Conference Reminder

Remember to book your tickets in time for the Southeast Regional Conference coming up on Saturday 22nd March. The booking deadlines are 7th March for in-person tickets and 14th March for virtual tickets! Click here for details and to book.

4th February 2025

Call-out to members who can help lead bat box checks

We’re looking to get more bat box checks organised across London this year, if possible. To start the process we’re looking for LBG members who have a Level 2 bat survey class licence and who would be interested in leading bat box checks. Please let me know if you meet these criteria and would like to discuss further.
If you have any sites in mind, that would be great, but alternatively we can look into sites in your local area that already have bat boxes or might benefit from having bat boxes installed. In either case, we can approach the site owners/managers to discuss LBG working with them to set up/maintain bat box schemes.
This would be a great way to collect new information about bat species and potentially their breeding status in different parts of London with the potential to enhance the conservation of bats in these areas. Also there is a great demand from LBG members to join in with bat box checks, either to further their learning/training, or just get the opportunity to see bats close up. Furthermore, the existing bat box schemes are mainly in the south of London so it would be great if we could get some schemes going in the north half of London.
If you could potentially lead on bat box checks, or would simply like to have a preliminary chat, then please let me know (reply to the groups.io email).
Thanks,
Philip
LBG Chair

4th February 2025

Request for help!

Cody Dock (E16 4TL) was a disused dock in Canning Town but is now a community hub that hosts events, restoration projects and a biodiversity team (codydock.org.uk). A large proportion of the work being undertaken by Cody Dock’s ecology team is to monitor the biodiversity of the dock and tidal stretch of the River Lea as well as the surrounding industrial estates. There is an urgency to this work as 50,000 new homes are being built in the area over the next 10 years and the window of opportunity to record existing species and habitats is limited. There is also an imperative to strategically think about blue and green corridors, and to work with community volunteers and experts to deliver opportunities for habitat retention, enhancement and creation in this area. They have historical records of 6 bat species, including noctule, brown long eared, Daubenton’s, and common, soprano and Nathusius’ pipistrelles
There are some bat opportunities at Cody Dock that could do with some LBG support!
Bat box checks
There are 14 bat boxes in the area that need checking. Is there a licensed bat worker who would be able to support with this? There will be some existing volunteers at Cody Dock who would be involved and opportunities for LBG members to attend. If we are able to get a licensed bat worker we will be able to put out the call for others to attend.
Dawn swarming survey
Between May and August they would like to conduct an early morning survey (or more depending on results and volunteers available)
This would involve meeting at Cody Dock an hour before sunrise, finishing the survey half an hour after sunrise at the latest. There will be a cooked breakfast to say thank you for your efforts. It would be great to gauge interest for this, so if you think you will be able to support, please get in touch, letting me know your location/ form of transport so we can consider the logistics.
Please reply to the groups.io email if you can help!
I look forward to hearing from you.

Sophia

28th January 2025

Greater Mouse-eared Bat!

In case you haven’t seen any of the news coverage, here is BCT’s news item about exciting discoveries of greater mouse-eared bat, the UK’s rarest bat species, last week.

The story was also covered on Winterwatch last Friday which is available on iPlayer if you haven’t seen it.

Since this species is turning up in SE England, we hope we will find it in London at some point!

4th January 2025

Booking for the Southeast Regional Bat Conference is now open!

You can find the programme and link to book tickets here. The hybrid one day conference will be held on Saturday 22 March at the University of Surrey, and online via zoom.

This one-day event is an opportunity for anyone interested in bats, from hobbyists and volunteers to professional bat workers, to spend time together updating their knowledge, sharing best practice, developing their skills and catching up on the latest ‘bat chat’. The day includes a mixture of talks on projects and new knowledge, and a choice of practical workshops. There will also be time for catching up with batty friends or making some new acquaintances.

Through this event, we want to share the great work the bat groups have been up to! So as well as hearing news from some groups in the talks, there will be a section in the delegate hub where bat groups can provide short updates for delegates to read. There is also the opportunity for bat groups, and individuals, to display posters in the exhibition area about their work. To provide content for these areas please get in touch via batgroups@bats.org.uk. It would be great to share something from every bat group.

In-person tickets, that include a vegetarian lunch and refreshments are £45 for BCT/partner bat group members and £50 for non-members.

Virtual tickets are £25 for BCT/partner bat group members and £30 for non-members. Please note, as not all workshops can be offered online, virtual attendees will be able to choose on the day between a selection of two workshops per session. See the conference webpage for more information.

I hope to see many of you there,
Kind regards,
Abby Packham (she/her)
Bat Groups Officer
Bat Conservation Trust

24th December 2024

Natterer’s News

Merry Christmas, hope you are enjoying, and enjoy the festive period and New Year.

For some festive reading, the 101st Edition of Natterer’s News is out, bringing you news from the London Bat Group and wider afield! Check your groups.io email.

If you have any feedback or stories for the next edition, please do let me know by replying to the email.
All the best,
David Jackson