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
24th January 2022
“Superb training, with really illuminating illustrations and everything explained in a clear and accessible way.” - Philip Briggs, Monitoring Manager, Bat Conservation Trust
27th January 2022
In September each year BCT convenes a Consultant’s Forum where consultants gather to hear about BCT’s work and discuss current issues. This year the Consultant's Forum is being held online. Free - optional donation to support BCT's vital work to conserve bats
Scoping surveys for Arborists - online
1st February 2022
"Very good introduction to bats in relation to ecology, the law and tree use." Course participant, 2017 Adapted for online delivery, this Lantra-accredited course, developed by the Bat Conservation Trust and supported by the Arboricultural Association, will enable participants to carry out tree works with consideration for the potential effects on bats and their habitats. Enquire for discount details: training@bats.org.uk
8th February 2022
Online training course developed and delivered by Maggie Brown (West Yorkshire Bat Hospital). This 6 session course will provide an introduction to bat care for anyone interested in bat rehabilitation.
12th February 2022
The Wales Bat Worker's Day is aimed at anyone with an interest in bats. It provides a good opportunity for meeting with others who are involved with bat work as well as developing knowledge and skills that can support local bat conservation. It will take place online on Saturday 12 February and will include an exciting programme of talks and workshops as well as the Wales Bat Workers' Forum (an opportunity for Welsh bat workers to provide feedback to BCT and NRW and discuss priorities for bat conservation in Wales).
Bats in Traditional Buildings - Online
24th February 2022
Bat awareness is important for anyone who is responsible for buildings and their renovation/development/maintenance/design, including builders, surveyors, architects and pest controllers.
Rock climbing and bat ecology: conservation, citizen science
25th February 2022
Bat Conservation Trust and the Glamorgan Bat Group welcome bat biologists Rob Schorr and Henry Andrews to discuss the cliff ecology of bats. As bat populations have declined worldwide, biologists and land managers need new tools to understand where to monitor and conserve populations. Schorr is the director of Climbers for Bat Conservation, which is developing relationships with rock climbers to find bats. Andrews is the director of Bat Rock Habitat Key and author of Bat Roosts in Rock to help identify and describe rock-roosting habitat for bats.
5th March 2022
This is a day of online workshops for anyone interested in bat conservation. It offers attendees an opportunity to learn new practical skills, improve on their existing ones and to meet other bat enthusiasts. A wide range of workshops are offered, to suit beginners to bat work and those with more experience.
How to run a bat walk (online training)
15th March 2022
The workshop provides training in organising and leading a bat walk. It gives participants, who may be relatively new to bats, an introduction to bat biology, ecology and identification so they can answer basic questions from the public. It also includes how to plan and run the bat walk itself. It will be useful for anyone volunteering or working in the environmental sector and wanting to raise awareness of bats.
Caring for baby bats online training
22nd March 2022
An online course led by Maggie Brown from West Yorkshire Bat Hospital who will share the challenges of caring for baby bats and best practice techniques for their rehabilitation. Please note this is not an introductory course and requires some prior knowledge/experience of bat care.
Wildlife Acoustics Kaleidoscope Pro - online
24th March 2022
A one day interactive online course aimed at ecological consultants, the course will focus on both the free and full versions of Kaleidoscope and its ability to analyse large data sets. The course will be led by Wildlife Acoustics' Paul Howden-Leach, an expert in Kaleidoscope Pro. All profits from the course will go to the Bat Conservation Trust.
Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife impacts
4th April 2022
Sharing science-led solutions in the Dutch dunes
13th May 2022
Join UK Active Outdoors' stand-up paddle boarding sessions at dusk on the Bristol Avon to see some of its local Bats and elusive wildlife. £10 of each ticket booked is very kindly donated to Bat Conservation Trust! You will paddle from their slipway to a few areas to see a range of bats. As the light fades, watch these amazing creatures glide inches above the waters surface. Listen to them communicate and hunt on our bat detectors while you immerse yourselves in to their world.
10th June 2022
Join UK Active Outdoors' stand-up paddle boarding sessions at dusk on the Bristol Avon to see some of its local Bats and elusive wildlife. £10 of each ticket booked is very kindly donated to Bat Conservation Trust! You will paddle from their slipway to a few areas to see a range of bats. As the light fades, watch these amazing creatures glide inches above the waters surface. Listen to them communicate and hunt on our bat detectors while you immerse yourselves in to their world.
22nd July 2022
Join UK Active Outdoors' stand-up paddle boarding sessions at dusk on the Bristol Avon to see some of its local Bats and elusive wildlife. £10 of each ticket booked is very kindly donated to Bat Conservation Trust! You will paddle from their slipway to a few areas to see a range of bats. As the light fades, watch these amazing creatures glide inches above the waters surface. Listen to them communicate and hunt on our bat detectors while you immerse yourselves in to their world.
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.