ANNUAL REPORT
2021 – 2022
Charity number : 103233
1.0. Our purpose
The Northern Ireland Bat Group was formed in 1985, the year when bats first achieved protected status in the province. The Group’s members, are volunteers who come from all walks of life, share a common interest in bats and their conservation.
The bat group carries out a number of activities including:
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Recording and collating bat records which are passed on to CEDaR;
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Giving talks on bats to groups of all ages;
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Providing advice about bats to individuals and businesses;
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Cooperating in bat conservation and research projects; and
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Training new volunteers as bat ambulance drivers, carers and roost
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visitors.
The Northern Ireland Bat Group is governed by the Constitution as last amended on 23rd April 2017, which is available from the Secretary. The Northern Ireland Bat Group committee for this reporting period were:
Chairperson: Karen Healy
Treasurer: Emma Boston
Secretary: Robert Shearman
Records Secretary: Mary Maguire
Simon Pickett
Richard Ayre
Geoff Newell
Catherine Reilly
Judith Montgomery-Watson
Joanne Hamilton
Clare Hickey
Eleanor Ballard
Andrew Dick
Nathan McIlwrath
2.0. Chairperson’s report
2.1. Committee Meetings
Committee meetings took place as planned quarterly using zoom.
2.2. Bat Monitoring in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Bat Group volunteers continue to help with bat monitoring programmes in partnership with Bat Conservation Trust and Bat Conservation Ireland:
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Roost Count
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All Ireland Daubenton’s Waterway Survey
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All Ireland Car Monitoring Programme
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Hibernation survey
Northern Ireland Bat Group volunteers also carry out bat box monitoring throughout the year to provide additional records on species distribution.
2.3. Events delivered
Bat ambulance training events were delivered along with visits to summer schemes.
2.4. Bat Records
Bat records have been collated from bat ambulance drivers, bat carers and the Bat Conservation Trust and uploaded into the records to fulfil requests from students, charities, and ecological consultants regarding bat activity in a study area which is supplied.
2.5 Bat Care
The Northern Ireland Bat Group in conjunction with CEDaR provide a bat rescue service, where bat ambulance drivers are trained to assess if the bat needs further care of if it has to be taken to a licenced bat carer.
The Northern Ireland Bat Group also provides advice to householders on how to release bats which do not require specialist care.
2.6. Raising awareness on bat crime
We continue to work closely with PSNI and PAW NI to offer advice and guidance to the public on bat crime. More details can be found on the website https://www.wildlifecrimeni.org
2.7. Financial position
Please see the documents attached from the Northern Ireland Bat Group’s Treasurer.
Mary Maguire
Chairperson
Northern Ireland Bat Group
2022