Enhance Your Bat Ecology Expertise
Training Workshops
Specialist courses designed to advance your skills in bat ecology and survey methods. Perfect for professionals in the ecological consultancy sector.
Ground Level Tree Assessment (GLTA)
Learn the essential techniques for assessing trees at ground level for potential bat roosts. This course covers identification, survey methods, and reporting.
Workshop Format
In-person event with a combination of classroom learning and outdoor practical sessions.
Course Content
This workshop will cover all aspects of how to carry out a ground level tree assessment following current professional survey guidelines, including the following key points:
- Recognising different types of Potential Roost Features (PRFs)
- Essential survey equipment
- Using an endoscope to investigate PRFs
- Recognising signs of bat roosts and assessing roosting potential
- The Bat Tree Habitat Key
- Pro tips for getting the most from your GLTA survey data
Why is this training important?
GLTA is the first stage of survey for tree roosts and has two key purposes: 1. to determine whether or not more advanced surveys are needed to investigate bat roost potential; and 2. the data is used in the field by teams carrying out any subsequent climbing or emergence survey visits.
You don’t necessarily need a bat licence for GLTA but it is essential that surveyors have the right skills and knowledge to recognise PRFs, assess roosting potential and are able to record accurate survey data that is usable on follow up visits.
Who should attend?
Level: beginner/intermediate
Duration: 2 days
Cost: £280+VAT
Upcoming dates:
15-16 October 2024
Time left to book your place for October
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Aerial PRF Inspection
Format
Course Content
This workshop will take you through the process of how to carry out an aerial PRF inspection following current professional survey guidelines, including the following key points:
- Essential survey equipment
- Planning your climb
- Choosing anchors and installing your climbing lines efficiently
- Tips on work positioning and rope management
- Effective teamwork and the role of the ‘groundie’
- Using an endoscope to investigate PRFs
- Recognising signs of bat roosts and assessing roosting potential
- Pro tips for getting the most from your survey data
Why is this training important?
The Tree Climbing & Aerial Rescue course syllabus teaches the basics of how to climb a tree, but it doesn’t include anything about bat survey methods or tree roost ecology.
This course is designed as a follow up to the basic climbing & rescue training, to provide ecologist climbers with the essential knowledge to carry out through & efficient PRF inspections for professional ecological surveys.
Who should attend?
PRF inspection training for non-climbers
Not everyone wants / is able to climb to climb trees, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t ever need to do tree surveys.
If you would be interested in a MEWP based version of this workshop then please do get in touch as this is something we’re already looking into.
Level: intermediate/advanced
Duration: 2-3 days
COMING SOON – WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES
1-2-1 or Small Group Climbing Survey Coaching
Bespoke PRF inspection training tailored to your individual learning needs.
Format
In-person event with a bespoke combination of indoor theory and outdoor practical sessions.
Training can be booked as full or half days and either as a 1 off or regular series over a period of weeks/months to support your skills development.
Course Content
A flexible option with content directed by your own learning objectives, bespoke sessions are a great option for those who already have some experience or as a follow-up to the more structured PRF inspection workshop.
- Perhaps you’ve already done some training on bats & trees but would like a bit more support developing your practical skills?
- Are you looking for on-the-job style learning without the pressure of target daily workload or deadlines?
- Maybe you’re an assistant struggling to improve because you’re ‘just the safety second’ and don’t get to climb much?
- Perhaps you’re a manager interested in organising a training event for your in-house climbing team?
Whether you’re an ecologist who’s only recently completed their training or a more experienced climber wanting to work on their bat survey skills, these training sessions are designed to fill the gaps in your existing skillset and help you become a competent and confident surveyor for tree PRF inspections.
Why is this training important?
Tree climbing surveys require a unique combination of specialist knowledge, physical fitness and hazard awareness, much of which just won’t be acquired as transferrable skills from other types of ecological survey. Bat building surveys don’t teach you the fieldcraft needed to recognise & assess tree PRFs and the 5 day climbing & rescue training is only the start of becoming a competent climber.
From the perspective of both data quality and H&S, its essential that those undertaking climbing surveys are given adequate support & training to develop their skills.
The best way to build competence for aerial PRF inspections is lots of practice and spending time on site with a really experienced ecologist climber who can show you what to look for (as well as how to reach it!) is a great way to boost both your tree survey skills and your confidence.
Who should attend?
Level: bespoke
Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss bespoke training options.
Practical site skills for bat mitigation
New to supervising bat mitigation works? Or perhaps you’d like some guidance on working with contractors and get some hands-on practice with exclusion techniques & equipment? Develop your practical site skills and gain confidence so that you’re ready to hit the ground running on that next big project.
Level: intermediate/advanced
COMING SOON, WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES
Interested in booking?
To find out about upcoming dates, reserve a place on a course or discuss anything about training please do get in touch.
Location
In person training events are held on a lovely farm in the Derbyshire Dales with access to mature trees & woodland. Its a quiet rural location but conveniently situated only about 15mins drive from J38 of the M1 motorway so accessible for anyone travelling from further afield.
Bed & breakfast accommodation is available in a cosy bunkhouse on site, which also provides our classroom and welfare facilities during the day. If you prefer to arrange your own private accommodation there are also plenty of local options for holiday cottages and b&b.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Answers to some common questions are provided below.
Can I attend a workshop online?
At present all of the workshops are in-person events. Some training will always need to be via practical hands-on learning; however, there are plans to develop a series of online modules covering some of the more theory based aspects.
Will I get a formal qualification?
At present there are no formally recognised qualifications for bat surveys outside of the statutory licensing system; however, all students will receive a certificate of attendance for their CPD records.
Can I get a reference for my bat licence?
No. The workshops do not cover the full range of knowledge & experience you would need to apply for your bat licence, but I will be happy to sign your training log.
There are no dates listed for a workshop I'd like to do, when will the next one be running?
New dates may be advertised at any time so keep an eye on the website & social media for updates.
The thing I want to learn isn't listed, will there be more courses available in future?
Yes! In time the aim is to add a wider range of courses on bat ecology & survey methods, including some online modules.
If there’s something specific you’d like to request then please do get in touch to see what we can arrange.
I want to learn to climb, can you provide the tree climbing & aerial rescue qualification?
Not yet, but this is something I’m looking into so keep an eye out for updates.
I'm not sure about learning to climb, do you offer taster sessions?
Not yet, but this is something I’m looking into so keep an eye out for updates.
I want to use MEWP for tree surveys, can I still do PRF inspection training?
Not everyone wants / is able to climb trees, that’s why I’m investigating feasibility of offering the aerial inspection course via MEWP. If this is something you’re interested in then please do get in touch.
I'd like to arrange training for my team, can you come to us?
If you have a suitable site and landowner permission for the workshop activities then that’s certainly something we can discuss. The advantage of my regular venue is that I already know the terrain and what sort of experience it can offer students.
Meet the trainer
Hazel Robson, Licensed bat ecologist & professional tree climber