About

The Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group is a registered charity (registration number 1139339) working in partnership with the Bat Conservation Trust and in close contact with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

As set out in our constitution, the group aims to advance the protection and conservation of bats, their roosts, feeding areas, hibernacula and surrounding environment in Derbyshire and to educate the public and the group's members in all matters related to bats.

Members of the group give advice on bat related issues and those who have a Natural England licence can examine roosts and any bats which are present. Membership extends across the county and visits can be arranged as required.

The group also records and maps the distribution of bats and operates a number of bat box schemes. Our records database represents a unique resource for bats in Derbyshire and we provide data to conservation bodies and ecological consultants on a regular basis.

Members of the group are happy to visit clubs and societies to give talks about bats and to lead walks. Please contact us for more information and/or to arrange an event.

Membership

Joining the group not only helps to protect Derbyshire's bats. All members receive a copy of our annual report TRAGUS and regular newsletters. We hold monthly indoor meetings and regular field events open to all members. Our current subscription rate is £6.50 per household for the first year, then £5 per year for renewal.

If you wish to join, please send your name, address, email address and membership fee (please make cheques payable to The Derbyshire Bat Conservation Group) to:
DBCG, c/o Calke Abbey, Ticknall, Derbyshire, DE73 7LE.

Latest News

Members have placed bat bricks and bat boxes into the powder store at the site of the Carsington water bat box scheme to try and improve the number of hibernation opportunities for bats within the structure. The powder store had been deteriorating in condition over the past few years (although deterioration seems to have stabilised recently) and it is hoped that these new crevices will increase the number of places that bats can use. Natterer’s and brown long-eared bats have been recorded hibernating by the bat group in the structure for several years now, which remains cooler than the outside temperature due to being sunk into the ground and having thick stone walls. The brown long-eared in the photo below was found hibernating in the roof in March 2013 during installation of the bricks and boxes. ‘Bat bricks’ are standard-sized bricks which are cast in a special mould to provide the holes as shown in the photo below.

Tweets and Squeaks

Follow us on twitter Derbysirebats on Twitter

RT @SteveRoeBatMan: Preparing for tomorrow's @derbyshirebats sound analysis workshop http://t.co/KulO4CGzIA

RT @CarlosAbrahams: @NickMoyes @derbyshirebats @DerbysWildlife Bought a copy of the new Derbyshire Mammals book from Debbie Alston today ...

Weather's picked up for tomorrows box check. Will hopefully find more bats in situ than the Easter weekend.

@SuffolkNature calls don't look FM enough to be that high in freq for N.pip. More likely to be common pip.

RT @ForestBat: New bat genus found in Sudan...the badger bat! http://t.co/FvSh6BaSbA

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