National Nathusius Pipistrelle Project (BCT Project)

The National Nathusius' Pipistrelle Project was launched in 2014 with a grant from the People's Trust for Endangered Species, to improve our understanding of the ecology, current status and conservation threats for Nathusius' pipistrelles in Great Britain. The project was conducted across Great Britain with the help of citizen scientists from local bat groups. The projects' original aims have been met in England, these were:

• Determine the resident and breeding status of Nathusius' pipistrelle in Great Britain.
• Determine the migratory origins of Nathusius' pipistrelles in Great Britain.
• To gather further information on the distribution of Nathusius' pipistrelle in Great Britain and the Channel Islands.

I first joined these surveys as a volunteer in 2014 with Nottinghamshire Bat Group and it was my first experience getting to do advanced bat surveys. It helped me learn so much about bats and the advanced survey techniques like harp trapping. By 2016 I took over as the survey lead for Nottinghamshire and conducted surveys with volunteers across the county which helped us understand more about the species and their roosts. As survey lead I also trained many volunteers in a variety of skills such as harp trapping, bat identification and handling.