Our Exeter based Ecology and Arboriculture teams recently conducted a joint CPD session at Ashclyst Forest, Devon, on the topic of Bat Roosts in Trees. We practiced looking for suitable bat roost features in trees and assessing each tree’s suitability for supporting bat roosts against best practice guidelines. Our licenced bat ecologists even poked an endoscope into a feature or two looking for bats, but unfortunately none were found – we did however uncover and remove an empty packet of mini-cheddars from one tree.  We didn’t just cover bat roost features, but also discussed other related topics that affect both disciplines, such as fungal decay strategies, tree biomechanics, Ash Dieback and woodland management. It was a great example of cross discipline knowledge sharing and teamwork between the two teams.

Best of all, the weather was perfect all day with not a drop of rain, and (almost) nobody came a cropper in the seriously sticky Devon mud!

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