Getting into bats Bats are peculiar creatures — they have a habit of doing things that they never should. They will go into hibernation during the autumn, but sometimes you can still see one flying on Christmas Day. There is still so much to learn about them.

I got into bats when an injured one was brought to me and I had to find out what to do about it. Thankfully it responded well and became a pet. This really got me interested and I learnt as much as I could so that I could become a licensed bat worker.

I get involved in all sorts of bat projects across Oxfordshire. One that I am proud of is in BBOWT’s Foxholes Nature Reserve, an area of ancient woodland that is part of the Wychwood Forest, near Chipping Norton.

We put up 100 boxes across the reserve to monitor the rare Bechstein’s bats as part of a national study.

An ideal home Foxholes is a perfect woodland for bats — plenty of old trees with places for them to roost and to hibernate, and lots of insects for them to feed on. We found male Bechstein’s bats there and several other species; it is a great place for bats. Our survey showed the largest number of Bechstein’s in the project.

Bats like to hibernate in winter, but because we do not have lots of caves in Oxfordshire we have created hibernacula — places where they will be cool, but not too cold.

I helped to create the hibernaculum at BBOWT’s C.S. Lewis Nature Reserve in Oxford which has now been colonised by the brown long-eared, Natterer’s and Daubenton’s bats.

Since then, we have designed and built several underground sites which will hopefully last for 50 years or more. That is the thrill of doing this sort of work — you know it is going to be long-lasting.

Batman People are more interested in bats now than ever before, possibly because they are more welcome in people’s roof spaces and buildings than they used to be.

One lady who initially wanted us to move the bats out of her house has decided to put up bat boxes and is monitoring her bats instead.

I get a real thrill out of that.

Sometimes people call me the ‘Batman’ and I am often asked to go out and work with architects and builders.

Get involved If you want to get involved with wildlife this weekend visit www.bbowt.org.uk for a list of events and volunteering opportunities.