Midlands Bat Conference

"It was very good, would definitely go to the next one" Conference Delegate 2022

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 short and long 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 batty acquaintances.

Whilst the conference is open to anybody from any region, you may be able to meet people from the bat groups in the Midlands and central region.

The next conference will be held on Saturday 23rd March 2024 both in-person and online.

Further details will be added in due course. If you'd like to be involved by giving a talk or leading a workshop, please contact Abby Packham the Bat Groups Officer.

We are grateful to our sponsors for helping make these events possible. If you are interested in sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please contact our Training and Conferences team on conferences@bats.org.uk.

The programme included:

• Update on the work of the Bat Conservation Trust - Joe Nuñez-Mino, BCT
• Winners and losers; The climate change game - Penelope Fialas, University of Exeter
  Modelling continental-scale responses of European bats to climate and land-use change
• Back from the Brink's Rockingham Forest Project - Susannah O'Riordan, Butterfly Conservation
  What the project has achieved and looking forwards
• Spotlight talks from Herefordshire Mammal Group and Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group

• Anthropogenic noise effects on Egyptian fruit bats and Seba's bats in captivity at Dudley Zoo - Melissa Norton, University of Wolverhampton
  
• Engaging with Bats in Churches - Ann Gleave, Leicestershire and Rutland Bat Group
  
• Spotlight talks from Staffordshire Bat Group, Nene Valley Bats and Birmingham and the Black Country Bat Group
• Raffle winners announced

As well as 2 workshop sessions and networking opportunities.