Whether you are a bat-beginner or an expert you are sure to find an event to interest you in the listings below. Year round the Bat Conservation Trust, local bat groups as well as conservation and community organisations arrange bat events across the UK from training courses to bat walks for families.
To stay updated on all BCT's upcoming events, sign up to our events mailing list here.
You will soon be able to add your events on our website yourself but for the time being please do email comms@bats.org.uk with details of your event: name of event, date, time and location, who is it aimed for, is it a paid event (if so how much per person), do people need to book (and where), contact details for the organiser for people who have question, website of the event if there is one.
Further information about the Bat Conservation Trust's Training Courses and Conferences & Symposia.
Certificate of Bat Acoustics Analysis - online, available to start now
1st June 2021
“Superb training, with really illuminating illustrations and everything explained in a clear and accessible way.” - Philip Briggs, Monitoring Manager, Bat Conservation Trust
BatFest Bat Care for Non-Bat Carers workshop
28th September 2021
Ideal for ecologists, vets and vet nurses and anyone who might come across a bat unexpectedly.
BatFest Batty Awards for Achievement and Talent - Awards Evening
30th September 2021
Celebrating a variety of batty achievements and talents!
7th October 2021
This one day course offers an introduction to the use of bat detectors and the basic identification of bat calls for professional bat surveys.
Secondary Roost Surveys for Arborists
11th October 2021
This in-person course follows on from our Scoping surveys for arborists course and teaches participants how to undertake a secondary roost survey including use of an endoscope. You will explore in more depth the practical skills needed in the field, the methods that can be used to rule out the potential of features as suitable bat roosts, learn the appropriate use of endoscopes and be given guidance on what can and cannot be done without a bat licence.
British bats, their ecology and conservation - 6 session course
14th October 2021
Online course with 6 live, weekly workshops lasting 60 minutes online with opportunities to interact with the tutors on Zoom and ask your questions. Recordings of each session will be available afterwards for 1 month. You can book individual sessions if you are particularly interested in one or two topics, or book all six for a full overview of British bats.
29th October 2021
The National Bat Conference is the biggest event in the bat calendar - a weekend of exciting talks, workshops and networking. The conference is an opportunity to learn about the new discoveries in the world of bat conservation, catch up with old friends and meet new ones.
Bats for Heritage Professionals
18th November 2021
Online course over 2 afternoons with a practical task to complete in between. Bat awareness is important for anyone working or volunteering on heritage buildings. Based on guidance prepared by Historic England, Natural England, English Heritage, the National Trust and the Bat Conservation Trust. By the end of the course, attendees will be able to:- - Identify, by visual inspection, any features in buildings that could be a potential bat roost site - Summarise the life cycle of bats in the UK and describe the best time for carrying out works in relation to the bat calendar - Exercise judgement about when to contact appropriate specialists for assistance at a suitable stage in the building inspection/work process - Recognise the consequences of acting without due consideration when carrying out works on buildings, which results in bat or roost destruction or disturbance.
Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife impacts
4th April 2022
Sharing science-led solutions in the Dutch dunes
Advanced Bat Survey Techniques
3rd August 2022
Over three days and two nights, attendees will be given theoretical and practical experiences of acoustic lures, harp traps, mist nets and radio tracking. The course will investigate the application of these techniques in line with the BCT’s Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines.
Advanced Bat Survey Techniques
30th August 2022
Over three days and two nights, attendees will be given theoretical and practical experiences of acoustic lures, harp traps, mist nets and radio tracking. The course will investigate the application of these techniques in line with the BCT’s Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines. The course is suitable for experienced bat surveyors wishing to gain practical experience towards obtaining advanced bat survey licences. Data collected from the course will feed into current research taking place in the area. The field sites are in Dorset and 13 species of bats have been caught in the area.