Climate Change urgently requires effective monitoring using suitable tools and methods to best safeguard vulnerable species. Unique flying mammals or bats are among these species in need of adequate monitoring for conservation. Bats contribute to controlling insects and pest species playing an essential role in different ecosystems. Being nocturnal they have evolved special ways to detect their prey. It is not surprising therefore that a common pipistrelle can eat over 3,000 tiny insects in a single night! Surely this says a lot about their contribution at alleviating our suffering from the thousands of mosquitoes and other flying insects we consider a problem.
One of the main goals of the COST Action - CLIMBATS is to establish the best approaches to monitor the effects of climate change on bats and implement effective monitoring for conservation from local to European scale. In order to share progress in bat monitoring tools toward designing a pan-European monitoring network to track changes in bat distribution, CLIMBATS is organising a one-day CLIMBATS Workshop on 13 June 2022. Scientists, conservation managers, NGOs, environmental agencies and other relevant stakeholders from all over Europe are invited to join this workshop event.
CLIMBATS is also working on the best techniques to monitor bat species that are predicted to respond to climate change and develop protocols for application by both academic and non-academic institutions, including policy makers. For this, CLIMBATS aims to work together with nature protection authorities, reserve personnel, relevant governmental agencies, and wildlife rehabilitation centres by organising a training school on bat monitoring techniques.
The CLIMBATS Training School taking place at the University of Malta Campus in Valletta between 14 and 15 June 2022 will give participants the opportunity to be trained by experienced experts. The training school event is aimed for bat researchers, nature reserve personnel, environmental NGOs, volunteers and governmental environmental protection officers. The training school will be led by experts within the field of bat monitoring techniques such as bioacoustics, roost inspections and mist-netting. The training school will also involve on-site practice of monitoring techniques at selected locations in Malta.
These CLIMBATS efforts are being held to create a system to detect early warning signals and implement prompt conservation actions for bats and their ecosystems.
The CLIMBATS COST action Workshop and Training School in Malta is providing for 30 participants to join on-site with expenses reimbursed. Application deadline Friday 29 April.
For further information visit the website or contact Prof. Adriana Vella, PhD.