I'm curious how one would go about getting involved in bat surveying. Does anyone do this as their line of work? (Not necessarily in caves but perhaps on new developments etc) What qualifications are required in the uk?

Keris82 said:

I'm curious how one would go about getting involved in bat surveying. Does anyone do this as their line of work? (Not necessarily in caves but perhaps on new developments etc) What qualifications are required in the uk?

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Professional ecologists (and ecological consultancies) will do bat surveys for exactly the reasons you describe. At some point a licence will be required (if you are causing any disturbance). You can use a device that converts ultrasonic to lower, audible wavelengths to hear the sounds that bats make which are (to some degree) identifiable between species.

Some caving clubs have people who do bat counts.

Many people will know a lot more than me!

I would think a bat would be quite easy to survey, they would only require one leg of the disto.... sorry. :chair:

Keris82 said:

I'm curious how one would go about getting involved in bat surveying. Does anyone do this as their line of work? (Not necessarily in caves but perhaps on new developments etc) What qualifications are required in the uk?

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We (Sc Avalon) and other Belgian caving clubs are working together on a regular base during the winter months to assist Plecotus,a part of Natagore,to help them with counting bats in caves that they don't have access to.

http://plecotus.natagora.be/

Plecotus has some scientist on their payroll + a lot of volunteers.

This is how it works in Belgium

An ecology degree or related would be the absolute minimum qualification requirement if  you wanted to do it professionally.

If you want to do it voluntarily, then you could either get involved on the Bat conservation trust's volunteer surveys as a solo volunteer, or join your local bat group and work with them (many volunteers do both)  The latter will provide access to training opportunities to gain licences for those survey's requiring them.

Like Anthony said, join local bat group to learn more. It was bat surveying that got me into caving  about 17 years ago.  I never did it 'professionally' though as I was more into hands on conservation work, though did do a few small planning related jobs for people I know as I had a NE licence for survey work.  The BCT website has lists of local bat groups. 

AnthonyB said:

An ecology degree or related would be the absolute minimum qualification requirement if  you wanted to do it professionally.

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Oh no it isn't.  No disclosure of possessing any sort of university degree, let alone an ecology or relevant degree, is made in the report that Cadw's ecologist wrote last year on Ogof Draenen / Twll Du to support it being concreted up.  He found no bats using that entrance, as observed from the land surface above it.  He did not venture underground to look for bats or find evidence of them like their droppings.

Likewise there is no reference to him possessing any university degree on his LinkedIn page.  He does however mention more than a couple of dozen of other qualifications ranging from asbestos training to woodland flora and reptile experience and going on a Cambrian Caving Council SRT course!

Furthermore he is only a Qualifying Member and is not yet a Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).  In other words, he is aspiring to become a full member.  And yet he obtained a bat survey contract involving a government body and a 70kms long cave.

Stuart France said:

AnthonyB said:

An ecology degree or related would be the absolute minimum qualification requirement if  you wanted to do it professionally.

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Oh no it isn't.

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No. I've done a few bat counts proffessionally, for state and conservationist groups too inept or unwilling to have a look themselves. I had three years of elementary-school education...

Despite the odd person working professionally as an ecologist not having a degree, you'll find the modern world flooded with people who have masters and are willing to work for next to f*** all. It's an intensely oversaturated market if you want to get paid for that sort of thing. Many entry level or graduate jobs require 10 years of experience

However voluntarily wise, join your local bat group logs of them (Derbyshire I've found especially) are quite friendly.