Agribats was a Heritage Lottery funded project, run by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, that aimed to improve the conservation of bats on farmland.
Bat populations declined significantly in Britain during the 20th century due to a combination of factors including loss of roost and feeding sites. Bats’ roosts in Britain are protected under legislation, but foraging sites are unprotected, making them susceptible to land use changes. As over 25% of land in Britain is arable farmland, it is important that we understand how we can reduce the impacts of agriculture on bat feeding sites.
In 2017, we worked with landowners across Hampshire and Dorset, to carry out fieldwork to better understand which arable habitats are attractive to bats and to promote these habitats to farmers to aid bat conservation.