Thousands of people across the UK will be busy during the weekend of 31-31 August enjoying a host of special batty events taking place to celebrate European Bat Weekend.
The celebratory weekend is being organised by the Bat Conservation Trust, with support from Defra, in an effort to help people understand more about these amazing, but often misunderstood, mammals.
In the UK, our 17 species of bats and their roosts are protected by law as a result of a rapid decline in numbers during the last century. Development, modern agriculture, pesticides and public misconceptions have all contributed to their decline. Bats make up almost a third of mammal species in the UK and are indicators of a healthy environment.
Dozens of bat walks and talks have been arranged by local Bat Groups, Wildlife Trusts, countryside rangers and other organisations up and down the country to bring people a little closer to bats and to celebrate the contribution bats make to biodiversity in the UK.
European Bat Weekend was born out of a European-wide celebration of bats held every August, called European Bat Night (this year taking place on 30 August), under the Eurobats Agreement.
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