BatChat | Podcast Guru

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Taking you into the field to discover the world of bat conservation. BatChat is for anyone who loves bats or has an interest in the conservation of these fascinating mammals. Ecologist and Chair of the Bat Conservation Trust Steve Roe takes you on-location, talking to the experts as well as local heroes to bring you the latest from the world of bats. Series 7 is currently being released with new episodes dropping every other Wednesday. In this upcoming series we travel to the Yorkshire Dales to visit the Hoffman limekiln, to Pembrokeshire to visit the infamous greater horseshoe bat roost at Stackpole and to a disused water mill that is now home to one of the most important bat colonies in Wales. Get in touch with feedback and ideas for stories you’d like to hear: [email protected] Bats are magical but misunderstood mammals. At the Bat Conservation Trust we have a vision of a world rich in wildlife where bats and people thrive together.

Recent Episodes

The Night the Bats Came Downstairs

We visit a family home in the Usk Valley to investigate Wales’s first documented Leisler’s bat maternity roost. The species is rarely seen, and records in Wales are scattered, with much of the available information coming from acoustic surveys that can be difficult to interpret. The discovery offers an opportunity to learn more about a bat that remains poorly understood in Britain. We hear how Lucy and Andy discovered bats in their attic after moving into an old converted farm building. Duri...

25 MIN

Series 8 is coming on November 4th

The new BatChat series brings you the first documented Leisler’s bat maternity roost in Wales, an in-depth interview with Dr Mark Avery who despite being a renowned birder did his PhD on pipistrelle bats as well as a new regenerative farming estate where bats are being considered one of the important species groups in determining how the project is progressing. Alongside all of that we'll be travelling across the UK to bring you field trips to hibernation surveys, exciting new developments in...

1 MIN

The Bedfordshire Bat-by-Boat Survey

In this final episode of Series 7 of BatChat, we go out on a unique paddling journey along the River Great Ouse with the Bedfordshire Bat Group and the Viking Kayak Club. Bob Cornes from the bat group explains how the survey came about and as we embrace the peacefulness of the river we discuss bat behaviours in their environments. The episode showcases community-driven conservation efforts, emphasising the significance of grassroots initiatives in bat conservation. As well as recording ...

29 MIN

Margam Castle & Eco-Poetry

S7E76 In this episode of BatChat, we explore bat conservation with experts Megan Price and Beth from Margam Park in South Wales. They share insights on the park's rich biodiversity, highlighting the fourteen bat species present and the importance of managing roosts while balancing conservation efforts with public access. Watch a short video of the bats at Margam Park A short article on the bats of Margam In the second half of the episode Dr. Briony Hughes from Royal Holloway University ...

26 MIN

From Aberdeen to Madagascar with Paul Racey

In this episode, we chat with Emeritus Professor Paul Racey, one of the best-known figures in bat ecology and conservation. Paul talks about how his interest in bats began when he was at school, watching dusk fall and becoming curious about the animals that emerge after dark. He shares how early teachers, university life, and time in the field helped shape what became a lifelong career. We look back over Paul’s many years of work, including his role in helping to establish the Bat Conservatio...

45 MIN