More Bats

Charlie Liggett shows us a Pipistrelle's wing

My dd wrote: I was recently asked to attend a lecture by world bat expert Daniel Hargreaves. It was so much more fun and informative than sticking my nose in a book :) Here is Daniel's web site. One day I will be in Trinidad with the volunteers :)  http://www.trinibats.com/

Volunteering is a way of learning

A few years ago, we were watching bats fly around nearby where we were staying in Wales.  So as is normal when we take an interest in something, we decided we wanted to learn more and to make a project about them... and other nocturnal creatures, which led us to owls, of course... and then onto raptures and predators. We had no idea way back that evening, just where it would take us.  I will detail this fun project later, but for now, back to volunteering :)

Har count, twice yearly, armed with binoculars and a transect map

By joining our local bat group's email list, we came into contact with other mammal groups, and a data collation organization called Merseyside Bio Bank. http://www.merseysidebiobank.org.uk/ They run free courses, to introduce you, in some way or another, to volunteering. I have been on various mammal, and insect sessions, so as I am better equipped to pass what I have learnt on to my children, and our group.  Also my children can see that education goes on all through life.

Planning a transect

 My first field work was a Brown Hare Count. After completing a few modules over a period of a couple of months, and a session aimed at brown hares in particular, I was given my own patch of land in which to go and conduct a survey. Off we went, armed with a pair of binoculars and a map of the transect. We try to help with the survey twice a year. You will see many more species apart from hares too :)

Another survey we are now involved in is counting bats for Bat Conservation Trust http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/get_involved.html  Not only is MBB the local records centre, they can also loan you equipement. Rich Burkmar, MBB manager, kindly lends us a bat detector each time. A local mammal group or your local council, will usually organize Bat Walks, and Rangers or an expert, will help you identify species.

Contra-trails survey for Opal

An orgainization that is also invaluable to us is http://www.opalexplorenature.org/ and http://www.ispot.org.uk/ I was very fortunate to be called up by their mentor Rachael, (she had seen our spot on MBB webpage) who kindly led our HE group throughout the year, on our pond dipping surveys.  With her incredible knowledge and enthusiasm, the group learnt so much. MBB agreed to us having our own little spot on their web site. http://merseysidebiobank.org.uk/index.aspx?Mod=Article&ArticleID=ProjectVolunteer Our group is the first school to do this. Thank you MBB. We were then able to submit our reports and ideas to the John Muir Trust and win a conservation award. http://www.jmt.org/jmaward-home.asp

One of our older children has gone off for 12mths to voluntarily work for the National Trust in a most beautiful part of the country. He will learn lots of new skills and take NVQs.. This surely is apprenticeship work at its best.

And all this education, being taught to us by experts in their fields, has been absolutely free. What are you waiting for, get out there!

Some nature surveys and activities to take part in:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/how.aspx
http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/
http://www.opalexplorenature.org/surveys
http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/