People across Pembrokeshire are being urged to get involved in bat conservation with the Vincent Wildlife Trust and Natur am Byth organisations.

Do you have an interest in wildlife? Looking for some weekend activities over the summer that are a bit different?

Vincent Wildlife Trust is running several workshops over June and July on how to carry out passive surveys for bats, as part of their Natur am Byth Barbastelle Project currently running in Pembrokeshire.

Each workshop will teach attendees how to use passive survey equipment for bats and how this contributes to bat conservation. You’ll then get the chance to set up equipment on these important conservation sites and carry out a survey for yourself in the hopes of recording a rare species of woodland bat – the barbastelle.

You’ll return the following week to collect the equipment in, ready for the data to be analysed by Cathy Jewson, VWT’s NaB Barbastelle Conservation Officer. Each attendee will receive a full report on which bat species were recorded on site, and the data will contribute to bat conservation in Pembrokeshire.

Workshop dates and locations:

Saturday, June 21 /Saturday, June 28 – Canaston Woods, near Narberth

Saturday, July 5/Saturday,July 12 – Colby Woodland Garden, near Amroth

All welcome but booking is essential! Email volunteer co-ordinator Laura for more information: [email protected] or check the website to see more about the Vincent Wildlife Trust’s work with bats: www.vwt.org.uk

Vincent Wildlife Trust is also running a free workshop aimed at tree surgeons, arborists and land management professionals this month at Colby Woodland Garden, on how to help protect woodland bats.

The workshop will run on Wednesday, June 18 at Colby Woodland Garden.

Limited spaces are available and so booking is essential – email Barbastelle Conservation Officer Cathy: [email protected]