Bats in Churches, how many are in your Wiltshire one?
A new study is hoping to recruit volunteers to find out
Last updated 8th Jun 2021
A National survey by the Bats in Churches project is looking for Wiltshire volunteers to see how many religious buildings are home to the winged mammals.
It is thought 60% of pre-16th century churches across the country contain bat roosts.
Bats in Churches say this is probably an out-of-date estimate as there could be many more.
That is why they are looking for people to help with a survey to understand how and why the mammals use the buildings to live in.
WHY DO BATS LIVE IN CHURCHES?
For centuries, bats have been associated with churches and in some cases these historic buildings are home to national and even internationally important bat roosts.
Volunteers will help by searching for evidence of bats in their local church, including churches in Wiltshire.
The surveys run from the beginning of June to the end of August and are covid secure with guidelines provided for participants.
The study has already thrown up some surprising results, in its trial year, volunteers were delighted to discover the presence of grey long-eared bats in a Devon church.
It is a five-year project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and bringing together partners from the conservation and heritage sectors to reduce the damage that bats can cause in churches while also protecting their roosts.
The project is helping to provide innovative solutions that allow bats and churches to occupy the same space without conflict and works closely with ecologists, church architects and communities.
Claire Boothby, Training and Survey Officer, Bats in Churches Project said: "We know churches are important for bats, but we are still in the dark about how many of the 16,000 Church of England churches are used by these protected mammals. We want to understand the factors affecting bats use of churches and also get a better picture of the impacts (both positive and negative) on those caring for these buildings. By helping unveil the mystery, by looking for evidence of bats and speaking to a representative of the church this summer, you'll help us to provide better advice and guidance for both church and bat conservation."