Discover the world of bats at Bere Marsh Farm this summer and autumn

We're excited to announce we're hosting two evening bat walks this summer and autumn at Bere Marsh Farm.

Led by guest expert Mariko Whyte from the Dorset Bat Group, participants will get to use heterodyne bat detectors and learn lots of fascinating facts about these nocturnal creatures. 

Discover Bats in Summer will take place on August 2 from 8.30pm to 10.30pm, while Discover Bats in Autumn will take place on September 13 from 7pm to 9pm. 

Mariko, who has led several walks at Bere Marsh Farm, said the farm is fantastic for bats because of the wide variety of habitats, including the linear commuting route provided by the old railway line, the grazed pastures, hedgerows, ponds and river, as well as the barns and farm buildings, which provide roosting sites for some species. 

She said: “Soprano pipistrelles are particularly commonly seen on bat walks as they have a preference for sites near water, along with common pipistrelles. Noctules, serotines, myotis and long-eared bats have also been also recorded, though are harder to spot! 

“It's especially lovely during bat walks to have the opportunity to walk along the Angela Hughes Nature Reserve which really shows how important even such narrow linear pockets of habitat are for providing a refuge and corridor for wildlife.” 

Local resident Lucy Hepworth, who took part in a previous bat walk at the farm, said: “It was a super evening. I came along to gain an awareness of bats and it definitely ticked that box.  

“It was well organised and the walk lead was so knowledgeable. I am going to use my newfound knowledge to aid my work in changing wormer practices on farms.” 

Tickets for either event cost £10 per adult, £3 per child or £5 for a CRT Friend or volunteer.  The walk is suitable for children aged 8+ and they must be accompanied by an adult. Booking is essential as spaces are limited. Please wear sturdy waterproof footwear essential and bring either a headband or handheld torch.  

For more information about the events and to book tickets, please see the website at www.thecrt.co.uk/Pages/Events/ 

More ways to support us

If you want to help us protect local wildlife and habitats in other ways you can join as a CRT Friend, attend our in-person and online events and volunteer on one of our farms. You can also sign-up to our monthly newsletter 'CRT News' for regular updates from our farms, straight to your inbox.