Bats at Heal Somerset with Jacquie Billington

Heal Talks - interesting people tell us about nature, climate change and well-being

Heal Rewilding

Join us for a walk after dusk with bat detectors followed by a talk by Jacquie Billington about the bats at Heal Somerset

Heal Somerset

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We&#x27;re delighted to host our first evening talk at Heal Somerset on &#x27;our&#x27; bats, with our neighbour Jacquie Billington, who has been fascinated by and working with the conservation of bats for over 30 years. We have evidence of Lesser Horseshoe bats being here, with Long-eared and Pipistrelle droppings found, plus Serotine, Noctule, Soprano Pipistrelle and Common Pipistrelle recently recorded flying around the site buildings and fields nearby. Jacquie will take us outside as dusk falls and we will wait for the bats to emerge. Those of you who bring fold-up chairs can sit and hope to see bats emerging and listen to the bats foraging nearby - with the help of electronic bat detectors. We will then go inside for light refreshments and a talk for about half an hour about the lives and habits of these remarkable flying mammals ,and Jacquie will then take questions.

<h3>J﻿acquie Billington and bats</h3>Jacquie has been involved in bat ecology for over 45 years. She began working with bats before bat detectors were easily available, doing surveys using flick netting - and mist nets were the only way to ID a bat. She was part of the original Bats in Churches project conducted in Northampton with Phil Richardson in the late 1970s (Jacquie is listed on the research paper from this study as J Brown, her maiden name). She now helps her husband Geoff Billington with his company Greena Ecological Consultancy with his various bat surveys, radio tracking and teaching courses. They used advanced technology to assist with reliable bat identification and Jacquie is able to talk about different detectors and which she finds particularly effective in different settings.

<h3>Location</h3>Heal Somerset is in a very rural location, just outside the village of Witham Friary, which is a few miles from Bruton, Frome, the A303 and the Wiltshire border. Full location details will be sent with the booking confirmation.

<h3>Timings</h3>Arrive: 6.45pm7pm: Go outdoors with bat detectors - please bring a camping chair if possible8.15: Inside for light refreshments8.30 Jacquie talks about bats and what species we&#x27;ve found so far at Heal Somerset plus Q&amp;A Ends: approximately 9.30pm+++<h3>Equipment, clothing and other considerations</h3>It is essential to bring a torch (ideally a headtorch). If you have your own bat detector, do bring it. Please bring a camping chair or folding chair as there is an option to sit behind the main farmhouse to watch Lesser Horseshoe bats emerge. We recommend that you wear sturdy shoes or walking boots suitable for rough, uneven ground and wellingtons if the weather has been very wet in the days leading up to the tour. If the forecast is wet, bring a waterproof jacket and a hat. To reduce the chance of ticks finding their way inside clothing, we recommend long trousers tucked into socks. <h3>Refreshments</h3>Refreshments will be tea and coffee (with dairy and plant milks), herbal teas, coffee, soft drinks, water and biscuits. <h3>Accessibility, support and babies/children</h3>The site is not yet wheelchair-accessible, unfortunately. This talk and walk is best suited to those over 18 because we will be out in the dark quite late. If you are hearing impaired and unable to participate without a BSL translator, please let us know so that we can arrange that. If you use an assistance dog, your dog will be welcome. <h3>Other things</h3>DogsWe welcome assistance dogs but you can&#x27;t bring a pet dog or any other pets to the site.Ticket priceIf you can&#x27;t afford the ticket price, please email us at somerset@healrewilding.org.uk and we can discuss arranging a free ticket. CancellationWe reserve the right to cancel this activity and potentially offer an alternative date. This would be due to a very poor weather forecast or illness and will be avoided unless absolutely necessary. If the weather is wet or cold, the chances of seeing bats will be significantly reduced and we would rearrange the event for 30th August (or offer a refund). <h3>Local accommodation</h3>We can&#x27;t offer accommodation yet at Heal Somerset. There are lots of places to stay in and around Frome and Bruton.<h3>Transport</h3>The remote rural location means that travelling here by car is the most practical option and there will be sign posted car parking available for people coming to the talk. <h3>COVID-19</h3>Please do not to travel to, or attend, this activity if you have COVID-19 or showing symptoms. We will monitor any changes in advice or restrictions regarding COVID-19 and in-person events. Please be aware that attending an in-person event carries a risk of catching COVID-19 and you come at your own risk. We recommend that you only attend if you are double vaccinated and boosted.

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Bats at Heal Somerset with Jacquie Billington

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Bats at Heal Somerset with Jacquie Billington

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