Wiltshire Wildlife Trust issues urgent appeal to help save rare bats

The trust needs to raise £2,000 to unlock a £20,000 grant to help save a breeding roost of rare Bechstein’s bats in the wood.

The Bechstein's bat is one of the UK’s rarest bats, found in parts of southern England and south east Wales.

It is found almost exclusively in woodland habitats. The destruction of ancient mature forests, along with intensive woodland management practices, has led to a decline in its numbers.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust has issued an urgent appeal to raise £2,000 to help save critically endangered and rare Bechstein's bats in a Trowbridge wood. (Image: Wiltshire Wildlife Trust)

A trust spokesperson said: “We're creating new ponds and roosting spaces to help these rare bats thrive, but we need your support.

“We've secured a grant, but we need to raise £2,000 to unlock the funds. Every £1 you donate will unlock £10 for this vital project

“In recent years, the population of this critically endangered species of bat at Green Lane Wood Nature Reserve has continued to decline. We urgently need to act, including creating additional habitat to help secure their survival.

“New and enhanced ponds at Green Lane will help provide food sources attracting flying insects for the bats to eat. Alongside this we will also be creating new roosting features within the woodland to provide more safe space for the bats to breed.

“More monitoring and data collection, including on local weather, will inform more work to help the Bechstein’s. Community engagement will inspire more people to protect and help the bats.”

The trust has already been successful in provisionally securing a grant of nearly £20,000 from the Suez Landfill Fund to undertake this vital work, which must be completed within the next 12 months.

Under the terms of the Landfill Grant, it must provide ten percent of the project costs as a contributing third-party payment– so any donation you give will release up to 10 times the amount given to this appeal.

The trust said: “We must raise these funds or risk losing the opportunity to undertake these essential habitat works during the bat’s hibernation period this winter.

“So please, donate what you can and let’s rise to the challenge of delivering a sustainable future for the beautiful Bechstein’s bats at Green Lane Woods.”

At the time of writing, the trust has already achieved 98 per cent of its target goal of £2,100 to enhance the bats’ natural habitat.

For more details, visit wiltshirewildlife.org/appeals/enhancing-habitat-bats