NBMP Level 2 Workshop: Using Your Ears (Online)

This Bat Conservation Trust training is a follow-on to the previous NBMP Level 1 Workshop, but is also standalone training for those with more experience.

If you are looking to develop your bat identification skills and are interested in understanding bat sounds, this workshop is for you. It will enable you to take part in surveys for the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP).

The workshop will equip you with species identification skills using a heterodyne bat detector in the field. The focus is on pipistrelles, noctule, serotine and Daubenton's bat as these illustrate a range of different bat sounds. The workshop will cover heterodyne detectors, training your "sonic memory", and breaking bat sounds down into four elements: repetition rate, rhythm, tonal quality, and pitch. You will learn how and why these elements vary between different species, and how to find the "peak frequency" using a heterodyne detector.

The training will include an overview of the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP), and you will learn how to take part in the NBMP Field Survey.

This workshop will be run online via Zoom and led by Philip Briggs, Monitoring Manager for the NBMP. This is an interactive workshop featuring videos, activities and quizzes, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

This training is being run by the Bat Conservation Trust and you can book your place here.