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The Elite Group has recently
agreed to support the Welsh Bat Project, which is
overseen by the Bat Conservation Trust – an
umbrella organisation for the network of local bat
groups around the UK, providing support, resources,
training and advice to groups and the public.
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A Lesser
Horseshoe Bat.
Photo: J Kaczanow/Bat Conservation
Trust |
A bat box
at the Wortley site |
The project will mainly
focus on the bat populations in Wales; however, part
of the research will also take place on two other
sites nominated by the Elite Group in Leeds and in
France.
The aim of the Bat Conservation
Trust is to ensure that bats and their habitats are
protected. They achieve this by interacting with bat
groups throughout the UK, monitoring bat populations
and their habitats as well as working towards raising
public awareness of bats, their habitats and threats
to their conservation.
Poor land development practices
and modern intensive approaches to farming have led
to a reduction in areas suitable for bats, despite
efforts to designate such areas. Contributing to the
decline of bat populations over the last few decades
are the use of pesticides, which have had an impact
on bats’ diet of insects, and certain timber
treatment chemicals that are poisonous to bats.
Intensive farming and modern
forestry practices such as the clearing of dead trees
and hedgerows from the countryside have also contributed,
leaving bats with fewer places to roost and reducing
their foraging habitats.
The Elite Group recognises
and is happy to promote and support the conservation
of wildlife and maintain a wildlife conservation area
on its Wortley site.
For more information on
the Bat Conservation Trust and how you can help, go
to http://www.bats.org.uk/
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