EWA by Joyce Ng

Embracing the Wildlife within Architecture Carving Out Spaces for Protected Bats PROJECT MANIFESTO The intent of this project is to bring awareness and to gain a better understanding of why it is important to include ‘buildingreliant species’, such as bats, within the early stages of architectural practice. The exploration begins in Hooke Park as an initial site of exploration. Hooke Park, an oddly shaped piece of land, is a part of the two percent of ancient woodland that still exists in the United Kingdom today. It provides a crucial habitat for a range of wildlife such as fungi, insects, bats, birds, and more. However, due to the nature of Hooke Park being both an ancient woodland and a managed one, it was revealed that the lack of natural features such as woodpecker holes and tree splits have affected the way in which bats inhabit the woodland. Bats are biodiversity indicators and are crucial for pollination, seed dispersal

and pest control. They are opportunistic mammals that do not build their own roosts. They rely on cracks, crevices and holes for shelter. With the lack of natural features, they have had to adapt by roosting within Hooke Park’s campus buildings. The relationship between bats and the Hooke Park’s architecture led to more questions about where bats choose to live within built structures, how they navigate and use the surrounding greenery. The study of the campus unravels an intricate system that seems to extend beyond Hooke Park itself. In fact, as more natural landscapes such as aged woodlands continue to disappear, ‘building-reliant species’ have been forced to migrate and adapt to man-made architecture in order to survive. So, how does man-made architecture today consider ‘building-reliant species’ and what more can be done to accommodate them?

Joyce Ka Kei Ng

Embracing the Wildlife within Architecture

A peek into the future: Voids in buildings making room for building-reliant species.

A View of Hooke Park

Hooke Park: A Site of Exploration

Following the transition of ownership of Hooke Park to The Architectural Association in 2002, the woodland campus has become as the place for timber design and construction. Hooke Park covers 150 hectares of land, listed both as an ancient woodland and a managed one but more often than not, students arrive at Hooke Park with the intention to create and build, making full use of the high-end facilities that are on the campus. Consequently, the rest of the woodland remains rather unexplored and undervalued. It led to the question: What is Hooke Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pedagogical role at the AA? And what can we learn from Hooke Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s woodlands? Souce: Image from the official website of Hooke Park.

The students of AA come and go, but hardly notice the wide range of inhabitants that share the woodland landscape of Hooke Park. Using a camera trap, video footages of wildlife that roam the woods day and night was revealed.

Source: Video footage of Hooke Park Wildlife captured by Joyce Ng in December 2019.

“When I was here in 1999, they were all young trees. Bu owls, we put boxes up like chimneys and the next week outside. They went straight in. I seen that first year we - Stephen Hales, Wildlife Expert

“There was a lot more wildlife in Hooke Park 20 years a the campus.” - Miraj Ahmed, AA Tutor

“We put nest boxes here in the late 90s. Andy, Paul and very young forest and there were no birds! So he put a big loop and now that the trees are bigger and are slow hole. ” - Stephen Hales, Wildlife Expert

“One of the experimental units were here recently and staying at Westminster Lodge” - Charlie Wright, Hook

“At one point, it was a royal deer park owned by the kin then the Forest Commission took over for 25 years and - Christopher Sadd, Hooke Park’s Forester

“Wild boar was a big issue for farmers around that’s wh - Charlie Wright, Hooke Park’s Workshop Manager

“I peeked out of the tent in the middle of the night and have been bioluminescent mushrooms!” - James Wes

ut now it’s getting better. With the tawny k they were in them! They came from brought in about thirty chicks.”

ago: deer and wild boar would roam into

d Chris were here because then it was a about a hundred nest boxes round that wly rotting so the birds may be able find a

they found a bat in their room whilst ke Park’s Workshop Manager

ng. It moved to a succession of owners d replanted the whole woodland.”

hy we don’t see them anymore.”

d I noticed a glow on the ground. It must stcott, AA Tutor Source: Selected quotes from Interviews with Charlie Wright, Christopher Sadd, Miraj Ahmed and Stephen Hales.

The Wildlife of Hooke Park

Hooke Park: A Site of Exploration

The hidden side of Hooke Park is filled with wildlife from small organisms such as fungi and insects, birds and bats, to larger animals such as fox and deer. Since there has never been any formal study of Hooke Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wildlife, a collection of testimonies from Hooke Park staff, AA tutors and students were used to paint a more wholistic picture of this hidden world.

A Lecture with Stephen Hales

Learning from the Experts

Stephen Hales, a wildlife expert, has been independently monitoring the moths of Hooke Park for the last 30 years. In his lecture, he described some of the rare species that exist in Hooke Park. He also mentioned a way to measure the biodiversity of a given area is the monitoring any of the three species: 1

Insects

Bats

Birds. Source: Photo taken by Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Hooke Park Visitor.

Learning from the Experts Share knowledge on bats and improving biodiversity in the woodland

Share knowledge on Hooke Park’s moths and birds

Christopher Sadd

Share knowledge on moths, bat’s prey

Stephen Hales

Architectural Association, Hooke Park’s Forester

Wildlife Expert and Hooke Park’s Moth Expert Share knowledge on woodland management

Share know bat social in the wo

Nigel Fisher

Wytham Woods Conservationist, University of Oxford

The Network of Shared Knowledge

Learning from the Experts

Share knowledge on bats in buildings

Nick Tomlinson

Bat Expert and Ecological Consultant

Jo Ferguson

Built Environment Manager of the Bat Conservation Trust

Share knowledge on bat research

wledge on dynamics oodlands

Danielle Linton

Bat Researcher, University of Oxford

The research project began in conversation with Christopher Sadd about the interest in wildlife at Hooke Park. Shortly after, he introduced Stephen Hales who invited Nick Tomlinson to Hooke Park. Nick Tomlinson then advised to contact Jo Ferguson who worked at the Bat Conservation Trust. Meanwhile, Diploma 18 visited Wytham Woods and met with the woodland conservationist, Nigel Fisher. Through his introduction, Danielle Linton was able to assist with specific questions about bat behaviors. Learning and gathering information from all the experts created the basis of my research in this topic. However, Nick Tomlinson became the leading figure as I continued to investigate batsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; relationship with architecture. Source: Network Diagram created by Joyce Ng. Photos from the Bat Conservation Trust, University of Oxford (Wytham Woods) and Hooke Park.

Learning from the Experts

This interview was intended to gain knowleedge on bats and its relation to the woodlands and architecture. In total, there were six participants in this interview: NT

Nick Tomlinson, Bat Expert

Christopher Sadd, Hooke Park Forester

Stephen Hales, Wildlife Expert

Zachary Mollica, Hooke Park Warden

Aude-Line Duliere (Diploma 18 Tutor)

Joyce Ng (Diploma 18 Student)

So if you imagine these are planks basically down as a box fixed to a tree and then you can put a cavity over there. And they are meant to simulate essentially lighting strikes in wood where the branches split a part because that’s the kind of thing that Barbastelle’s like. And you can make those comparatively small scale or the big bat box that you are talking about. The difficulty is going to be whether you get the results you need in the time scales you’ve got. Say you’ve put the bat box tomorrow, the bats would have started to come out of hibernation. And you took twenty bats in a colony, they would probably hibernate in maybe a dozen, fifteen, even as many as twenty different places and they will all come back together again. When they come back together, it’s all in the early stages now, but when you come back in six weeks or so they will find your box and known it’s there, with out a shadow of a doubt. Whether they will start to use it straight away is.. that’s the bit we won’t know yet.

And it’s possible that it may not be used at all.

It’s really difficult to say. If you could design it so it’s got a bit of heat in it (solar heating), it’s got a number of different orientations, so you are not just coming in one way but you have created it so there iss air going through it. But you don’t want air moving through particularly in when they are in hibernation. Hibernation, is a special case of what we call daily torpid so that’s a bat reducing its energy by bringing its body temperature down to ambient.

Nick Tomlinson is the Principal Ecologist at Nick Tomlinson Ecology. He has worked in the environmental sector for more than 20 years, specialising in bats and carrying out bat surveys for planning applications. Nick has previously worked with the Somerset Wildlife Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust and the Bat Conservation Trust.

Learning from the Experts

Hibernation is just an extended version of that where it goes even lower as a temperature. So during the year, if its a cold day, they’ll lower their body temperature because otherwise they are wasting heat. So if you’ve got air blowing through somewhere, that air is going to cool you further and takes heat away so they don’t like drafty places. It needs to reasonably air tight. You want a bit of humidity in there so that stops the drying out. Good flight lines and no lights or anything so we could have a look around to see what good siting might be but the difficulty is that you won’t necessarily know by the end of your project whether it’s been successful or not. JN

I have realised that and I think I’ve been seeing my project as more of a process. I don’t see the bat structure as an end result.

Ok.

Because I think I’m going to build and leave the structure here but if it is unsuccessful, there will be different places within Hooke Park where it can be placed. I’m going to pick the best site that could give it the best chance but if it doesn’t work we could try move the structure elsewhere. And there was even talk of… if it doesn’t work here then we could move the structure to the campus in London. But if I am designing for a specific species… then maybe that would change a bit (the structure)?

No, any crevice-dweller will like a crevice wherever you put it. So if you designed it along those lines, it could in theory go anywhere. It might go in straight away. You just don’t know. The way I usually describe bat boxes to people, if you imagine you live in a house and I came along and put a garden shed at the bottom of your garden, so you move out your house and into the back garden. You are not going to because your house is nicer. Bats, where they are, generally speaking, tend to stay because that’s the place that works for them ecologically speaking. That’s why bat boxes can be a bit of challenge because they have kind of found somewhere that is already good. So you need to build somewhere that is better if you see where I am

coming from? So we would like to think that we know a lot about bats but we don’t. And trying to say, this is how you build a box for a Barbastelle, that’s based on the fact that somebody has built that and in a few occasions it has been used by a Barbastelle but we don’t know if there is something better that would be even more useful if you see what I mean? So we know what we know but there is a lot we kid ourselves that we know. CS

Question, so I am picking up on straws here but you mentioned about moving the structure possibly. I suppose where we have got to be careful. If a bat or bats decide.. they met the structure and decide they like it there, but once a bat has gone in there and there is evidence of it, we are committed to following the law then are we?

Technically speaking, yes. If it’s been used and its a bat roost, then bat roosts are protected and you can’t just move it. But pragmatically, it would depend on the nature of that use. So if we have gone and checked it and we found one bat in there in one night, my personal view would be take more of a pragmatic view of it and say “Ok, its been used by a bat for one night, but actually putting it wherever somewhere else that might be would be better for bats overall” and therefore the fact that very technically speaking we are breaking the law, we would move it. On the other hand, if we found what would look like a maternity colony in there, then we wouldn’t move it because then that is the place that they want to breed. And sometimes boxes can be picked up quite quickly. The bats would know that it’s there, the challenge will be knowing whether it’s been used and how long you would want to leave past the day its in until you make that decision (to move it). Perhaps they won’t use it this year, but they could use it next year. Do you want to leave it a year to see? There is also if you look a bat’s year. For example, let’s start now. They are just coming out of hibernation now and they are in lots of individual This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (1/11).

Learning from the Experts

dotted places and slowly but surely those animals would come together (I’m talking mostly females now), would come together by late April, early May, and they would be with their breeding colonies then and then they will give birth, they will wean their young, then they will leave to go and mate and then they go back to hibernation. So if you imagine there is all those - where they hibernate, where they come out after hibernation, where they breed, where they mate, where they fatten up before hibernation, and going into hibernation. They could all be the same place or all be the same structure. So you might put your structure but maybe it doesn’t work as a breeding site but actually they really like it for hibernation. So one question for you would be how long do you want leave it before you make a decision of whether you want to move it because it’s not being used. So if it wasn’t being used in the summer, it doesn’t mean it’s not right. It might be that exactly what they want for hibernation. But you won’t know that until you get it into the hibernation time. The other side to throw in there is: how do we check this? Or a regular basis? Again, technically, even using a torch to check it you need a license for but being pragmatic if this thing needs to be checked a number of times, I would be more than delighted to come out and help. But there is a limit to a number of times I can come out in a given year so we need to be a bit pragmatic and say “Ok, if that’s been checked for the next six months, somebody has OK-ed with a torch to see if there is anything in it.” The other thing you might want to think about in terms of your design is that a lot of boxes in the market are called self-cleaning. So they are effectively a box like that with a top on it. The idea is the bats are hanging up here and they poo and the poo drops out so some people would just make sure that the area underneath it is mown flat or planked or put gravel down or something so that you can see the droppings very easily and particularly if its a small number of bats. If that’s your bat box, and its sat on a pole, one option is to put something at the bottom of the pole so any droppings come out you can see straight away but the other thing to think about is if you want to use that as a method of monitoring, and if we are

talking about a box that is a meter on the side, if they gets used by a number of bats, you’ll get droppings very quickly underneath it to tell you its being used. CS

And bat droppings, excuse me, are they distinct?

Yes. They look like mice droppings but if you pick them up they crumble. Basically it’s like fingernails, its that hard bit of insects that they can’t eat. It’s dry because although they do drink and water is important, they take a lot of the moisture out of the food that they eat. So the droppings are exceptionally dry. They are really easy to identify, regardless of the size of the bat. They are all pretty much the same (bat droppings), slightly different structure but they are all broadly speaking the same.

OK. I do have another question. This was a critique I had from someone else who asked if I would consider anything else beyond the structure itself? So are there are plants that attract certain insects, that attracts certain bats?

There is a whole range of stuff. The Bat Conservation Trust has a document which you can download a PDF which is about gardening for bats. Its got a couple of design for bat boxes but what it does have is a lot list of different types of plants that you can plant. Essentially, you are trying to do is plant something that will attract night flying insects so a butterfly plant or buddleia is good because it attracts moths. Some of the nice scented stocks could be nice because again, they are attracting night flying insects. But for a range of things, you think the size of our British bats range, like the size of my thumb or [hand gesture] to about that big and the corresponding range of prey (some of them are moth specialists). You were saying there is an area here that is absolutely still full of moths. If we came out and did some trapping, which we might be able to coincide, that would be a target. Moths here, that might bring in some long-eared bats, and Barbastelles because they are specialists. Whereas your little pipistrelle, which is mot much bigger than the top of my thumb, they eat midges. So when you are thinking about what plants to plant, you need to

Learning from the Experts

think about that range of prey. Noctule will eat big moths, or swarms of midges. JN

I was trying to look for that. I was looking specifically the type of bat species that eat certain type of insects. It was quite hard to find.

If you ping me an email, that’s my card, I can send you some links. But planning wise, you need to be thinking a range where there is going to be an element of heat on it but no full on sun all day because it will bake them. Ideally in a situation where (talking a house scale now but it can be incorporated in the size you are talking about) is to have one side in the shade and one side in the sunlight so there is the ability of the bats to move inside. They want different temperatures and humidity levels depending on both the time of day and how they are feeling. But also, if they are females, whether they are lactating or not. When a female gets pregnant in Spring, in cool day she will go into torpid especially if it’s raining, they won’t go out. Because if they go out in the rain they can’t see. The echolocation doesn’t work. So they will stay in the element of torpid for the night, they will stay asleep and maybe go out the next night. They want to stay cool, so if you have sun blasting on it (the roost), they can’t get their body temperature down so they waste energy in a hot place. So if you can design in a way that they move between it, there is an element of circulation but parts of it are cut off. If they were facing to the North, that element to the North gives them somewhere cooler to move into if they need to.

Plants that are specific to bat food. Being a quite a diverse woodland, rather than importing plant into the wood specifically for the bats, there should be sufficient native plant in this woodland.

You would hope so. I mean, we don’t know at the moment. It’s a shame we hadn’t spoken earlier because we could have thought last year of putting some. So we can use static detectors that you set out on a tree and basically it records flyspeck. So you can get an idea of what is there.We’re kind of working a little bit blind. But yeah, I mean, it depends on your feelings on plants, but if you’ve got

the opportunity for things like Buddleia, those kind of stuff that are quite pleasant, anyway, that would be quite good. But I say we don’t know what floor you’ve got in the woods. It’s a bit of a challenge. I mean the wet areas will be good for some presumably has a high degree of midge and that’s going to be great for the smaller bats. Where the challenge comes in on the bit that we’ve driven through.There wasn’t a lot of understory. I was talking to Steve about this, there are Bechstein’s bats not far from here. We know. Now, our understanding of Beckstein is in England is the understory is really important for them. And they forage in the canopy, but they like a high degree of understory. If you look at some of the pictures of where they have breeding Bechstein’s in Luxembourg, for instance, they are in Beech Plantations, there’s no understory at all. Some of the guys on the continent did some trapping using the methodology that we use here, which is a harp trap. It looks like a harp, essentially. And you use an acoustic lure which plays out bat sounds to attract them in. They tried that in these woodlands where they knew they had breeding. Beckstein didn’t catch any. And the theory is that, we knew the bats were there, but they’re not coming down to the traps because they’re uncomfortable without being understory. So that led to the next conclusion. When we did our survey several years ago, we would look at it, wouldn’t do this because there is no understory. That’s not going to work for Bechstein’s. So we would never trap them and even if we trap them potentially using the wrong methodology so it could be this if this bats like that here but they stay up all the time and don’t come down. So if you’ve got areas that are wet and full of midges, that’s going to be great for bats. If you’ve got high moth population, that’s going to be good for a whole bunch of other bats. SH

Yeah. If this thing works, how often the students come to participate This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (2/11).

Learning from the Experts

themselves? Are they here just one year is it?

Are you asking me this question? In terms of continuation?

If this thing works a treat. When the students come maybe in the fresh batch next year, if we leave this thing in situ, could part of their curriculum to take on this project?

I think that difficult to anticipate. Just in the sense that this is from a unit from our London school whose agendas to cover different things.

some of those conditions, so that if we are eventually in a case where we have to change tack or move, that we understand the baseline. NT

I mean, one of the things that immediately strikes me is that I don’t know if anybody’s done any work on these buildings at all, but there’s a lot of buildings in this area, which I’m guessing probably have got a lot of natural features in them, which may or may not have been used. Siting it here might be a good idea.

I have put one up in the big shed. We shall see. If you walk in big shed, look where the sliding doors, it is above the sliding doors on the inside. There’s a sort of frame manufactured bat box.

So do they come from different places?

So all from London. But kind of representing, I guess we would call them many silos maybe. So there’s many groups of many, many focuses. But there may be some who would be very interested in it, you would hope.

Did it work? Does it have bats in it?

No, it’s been two years now. I don’t think so.

[To Joyce] Have you begun to formulate a better plan now?

I’ve seen it. I can show you later.

I think it’s good to hear and confirm what to focus on because there is a lot of information and I didn’t know how to design specifically for bats. It might be helpful to walk around the woods.

But are you saying they are already using some of these buildings?

I was actually going to go the opposite direction, if there is somewhere in one of these buildings and there’s a maternity colony and they love it there, you’re competing with that. I mean, your box might actually be ‘Yes. We’ll move out of here and into the box’. Until we get out and have a look around. It might be worth thinking, maybe not necessarily competing with the buildings because there’s a lot of stuff here already. We don’t really want it right on top of where where the bats are feeding. But somewhere that’s got those environmental conditions and what we’re talking about is nowhere near lights. We don’t want lights illuminating it or the routes to and from.

It does get very dark.

Yes, just to beware if there was lights on the buildings that, you know, spotlights and things. So you don’t you don’t want anything like that. And somewhere, particularly if we’re thinking long-eared, which might use the structure, is to have it near backing onto hedgerows. So they’ve got something to drop out

Yes, of course. We can do that and even if you have more questions after you can send me an email and I can try help you with that. I don’t know about everybody else, but I am happy to go for a walk.

I don’t think I will be able to join for this part but there is one thing in particular I’d like to point out that as you are looking at sites, it would be great to be able to quantify it as what are the parameters that make a good site? Because I think we need to discuss multiple sites possibly. What are those conditions that kind of define it? It would be great to know if there’s a couple of specific sites. Just broadly would be great, I think, for the project to understand what is it that kind of A plus B equals a good result. I’m sure it’s not easy.

I know where you’re coming from. I wish it was that easy, that would be nice.

I wish it was not so mechanical. Just if there was that ability to define

Learning from the Experts

into and move along a line of trees or something like that. So sadly, what we don’t have is the A plus B or C result, if we had that, it would be wonderful. The guys that are doing the HST to work. They’ve put bat boxes up in woodlands where they know they are operating Beckstein’s and they put the kind of boxes out that we know Beckstein’s love and they put about 50, 60 boxes.We know they’re there and we know that breeding them in boxes but have not used them. JN

And this is inside? Inside a woodland?

So the are the ones and HST are the ones I’m talking about are, yes, in the woodland. We know the Bechstein’s are flying past these trees because we’ve caught them and regular track them. We put boxes for them. S there’s always that at the back of that mind that you might build the loveliest bat habitat box there is. But for some reason, we can’t fathom the idea that it doesn’t get used. Because your idea about moving it to another site, if it doesn’t get used, is to think whether there’s a possibility to identify two or three sites here that it could get move if there was an opportunity. I mean, I get where you are coming from.You get a bunch of students in here might year on year that not be interested in bats. And therefore you’ve got a project that has to go on each year, but the project stops. But if you’ve got a framework of what it might look like and somebody came along and was interested in that, then, you know, we could identify two or three sites. The other option is to make something slightly smaller. So instead of doing metre by metre, do a couple, you know, that are that kind of size [hand gesture] and put them up in two different conditions and see what happens. I don’t know how that fits with what needs to happen and resources and time and all.

Building on that, there’s two questions I would be interested in understanding both from a kind of public liability and safety, but also the forestry and economy perspective, because I think one that we’re aware of is the balance of bringing a species into this space which may lead us into a moment of restricted access.

There’s a funny balance for taking on this kind of project, which could potentially lead us to being restricted from use of our own site. So I think we need to be aware of that. Were a structure to become unsafe, for example, kind of at the moment, the larger projects become unsafe in our mind two years later (let’s say it has rotted or what other), would the legislation prevent you from removing it? NT

No, because you, generally speaking, it’s genuinely public health and safety If you’ve got to tree and it’s dangerous over footpath, the public health and safety legislation say there’s got to come down, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be providing some mitigation for that. So built into the box or move the box somewhere else. Well, one of the classic cases with trees is if there’s a limb that’s got the roost in it, you cut around it and then fasten it onto a sound tree so that the roost can stay the same. Oh, it’s fantastic to watch. But imagine something this big [hand gesture]. It’s got a woodpecker hole or a crack or a split, and it’s a maternity colony has been using that you could cut it off in maybe this much [hand gesture] either side of the gap, lower it to the ground, and then gently take the tree out the way and then fasten it back on another tree. It works. Not every time, but it does work. So if a box got used and it’s got really wet or something’s happened and that means it’s got to come down, I think that, yes, that’s a very reasonable question to ask.

So the idea is that you are not approaching about it with a malign intent.

The caveat to that is: “yeah, we’ll put something else somewhere else.”

So you don’t think that we’re building ourselves upon a problem in the future? Legally?

No. And we would work with you anyway if there was a problem. The difficulty comes in if you were to convert This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (3/11).

Learning from the Experts

No. And we would work with you anyway if there was a problem. The difficulty comes in if you were to convert this building [the workshop], this part of this building into a bat roost (it got used) and then you wanted to take the building down and you can’t replace the roost at all. That becomes a little bit of a challenge. But the kind of thing that we’re talking about, it’s the same as bat boxes in woodlands and some tree pushes and wire breaks. We don’t use wire now, but some of the early ones we’ve adopted have been hung up with wire. The wire goes through and the box drops. That was a roost and you’ve got to do something about it.There might be some timings around it to say, “well, actually, we can’t take it in the middle of summer because it’s full of breathing bats.” Well, you can put a fence around it and then walk around it. Then in the winter we fix it. So there’s ways and means to sort that out. And so I don’t think you would become a cropper from the legislation. So I guess one more thing related to that just as far as you kind of impact in various compartments of the woods. If we treat the bat box itself is kind of holy. If it were in a piece of woodland that were kind of left and it’s understood that then the bat box are protected. Say we wanted to take out a tree beside it, what are the kind of conditions of your actions that surrounding space? Strictly speaking, legislative wise, it’s the roost is protected. Unless it’s something like a special area of conservation for something like horseshoes bats, the habitat itself isn’t. One of the problems that we have actually in some places is that you’ve got core foraging habitat right next to a really important roost. The risk is the roost is protected but the habitat isn’t and you’ve effectively destroyed the roost because they leave because there’s nowhere to feed. So from our perspective, from the bat conservation, the lack of protection of the habitat can entitle the terms of the drawback. Ideally, if particularly if it’s got nice cover to allow the bats to come out and move out to the wider countryside, ideally we’d leave the trees, but they’re not protected. So if you needed to take it down for some reason, it could come

down. But the ideal situation would be to leave it because of what it allows the bats to do after. So that might be another consideration in terms of where we put it. Is this site unlikely for the next ten, fifteen years or whatever to have merged into it. That would be ideal rather than letting it happen in certain compartments in the woods which would be a bad idea to do due to forestry plans. JN

And then there is the area close the pond, I mean, I still don’t really know if it’s going to be sited in the campus or in the woodlands, but would the pond be an area where you will be cutting trees right?

So I won’t know until you have walked around and have selected one, two, three or four sights. I can then I can tell you which ones is likely to be working or not. Yeah, I think that’s the way we should approach it again.

I think what Chris means is that rather than ask for permission on it, it would be better to present a few options to be able to not say no to you, but to tell you which is preferred.

And it would be better in a tree, would it?

It could be a tree depending on the size that is going to be. Or you could mounted on a pole or, you know, for if you were going for one meter by one meter: four poles. It’s a box on sticks, essentially.

So this leads me to the next question: So we do have free range public access so I guess you have to bare that in mind when selecting your site.If its banged up next to the main drive. You can see it there. It’s more likely to be intervene with because of public inquisitive. There are a lot of things that go on.

I guess then does that also beg the question of when it goes up, unless it’s right in the campus where it’s going to be much harder, presumably, for people to interfere with whether you want to think about any interpretation with it so that when folks are looking at it, A, they know what it is, and B, no one is allowed to touch it. Just a thought to throw in there.

Learning from the Experts

I was at a meeting last week on the fleet. There are a lot of troubles with dogs. At the ferry bridge, they just let the dogs go where the birds are feeding and the sign got ripped out and trumped. What they are going to do now, is to change the wording on the sign: “Please keep dogs off the beach because birds get two chances a day to feed”. Rather than say “no dogs allowed”, you given the reason why you’ve been asked not to do it.

Makes such a difference. Coming back, I won’t be able to join you for the walk but let’s keep in touch. I mean, for the information that you’re going to give Joyce here, could you just copy me in?

Yeah. If you if you want to ping me an email with whoever needs to be copied, then I’ll just respond to all.

Zac as well. Yeah. [Ending of meeting in the workshop office. Start of site see.]

I do have another question. I’ve reached out to Dorset Bat Group in the beginning of September, and that was to ask how to start a monitoring transect. I’m just wondering if this program were actually to be in place here in Hooke Park and I want to in the long run invite people. How does it work to work with a local group? Do they have volunteers that come in?

I’m in that group.

Oh you are! That’s great.

So yes, it depends. So that’s the other thing when you are talking about monitoring. There are projects you can do with a bat detector and monitor bats that are flying around and that works very nicely and they are based on a transect route but you do need a certain level of skill to do that. There is a ranger based in one of the local nature reserves within the Trust who might be able to help. Once we have a clear idea of where this is going to go, then we could perhaps have that conversation. How does the group get involved with this long term? One of the difficulties if I am honest up front, is that those who

actually do stuff tend to be doing a lot. So actually finding the long term people who want to do stuff is can be quite a challenge. But if it was the opportunity, say you can run, we could set up a long term monitoring program and that might be something. JN

That could be interesting. For me, it’s a bit different because as Zac mentioned earlier, I’m from the London campus and I come here only for one week, for two weeks during the year. But there are some students who are here for one year or two years. So in the long term, maybe those are the students if they saw the bat roost, they might be more interested in getting involved within that time to give them more activities around here as well because there are mostly working in the workshop but are also looking to do other things, get to know the wildlife and to meet different people.

You know looking around as we were driving down the track, this was a nice area, it would be great to do some trapping here and that’s one way to get people interested. You know, we can do the trapping and you guys come along and join us. We show you some bats. So there’s a number of ways we could potentially kick start that. And if that was something that people, four or five people who might be interested then I could come back and for a training program. So I guess when I started 20 some years ago, one of the first things I did was what’s called a national bat watching program survey and you walk along, you’ve got a very specific methodology on how you listen for bats and record them. And that was how I kind of cut my teeth on getting stuck on bat conservation and I massively experienced at the time. So you don’t have to have a massive level of knowledge to get started. You just need a little workshop on how to get started. This is how you tend to escape from here. So I guess that’s a conversation for you guys whether that is something people might be interested This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (4/11).

Learning from the Experts

in doing. We could. We could run a tracking session. We don’t track between early June and the middle of July because they’re basically giving birth and raising their young. So you’d be gone by then. But prior to that, we can maybe do a survey like May, late May.

Late May, Ok. I’ve also been talking to Steve and Ke, my other partner, he’s also interested in this kind of monitoring program. We were talking about potentially organising a BioBlitz. So this would be a great opportunity for the people in my class to get to know what we’re actually doing. And as well, Steve said he has some friends that would love to come to Hooke Park and come and participate.

Funny you’re saying that because we are doing BioBlitz by interestingly enough, by a place called Batcombe. It’s kind of mid north west Dorset, and they’ve got a number of farms that have come together to form clusters to try and do the best they can for conservation. So it’s one of the starting points and there is a BioBlitz going on there. We are going out there one night, it’s over four nights and there’s moth-ers and bird-ers and we’re going to go along one night and trap. So that takes quite a bit of organising. But if you thought that might be something you’re interested. We would need to look at dates because that May period is starting to go pretty full with this stuff. But yeah, we can come and do that.

I’ve kind of proposed a few dates to Steve, so I just need to kind of talk to my tutor, Steve and see what other people are interested and I will let you know as well if you’re interested.

Let me have the dates sooner rather than later so I can at least pencil it in. Because the kit that we use, there are several of us that use it. So we need to kind of share it out a bit. And planned date is the day we handle the kits and we can run these traps with as many or as few people. Obviously, I need people to help me, you know, if you’ve caught a bat, you guys are going to want to see it. So there’s a there’s a level of resource I need within the group to support me. It can’t just be me. We have to do it on the caveat that if we find a bat, the welfare of the bat comes first. There

might be 10 of you that want to see it. But by the time four of you had a good look, and the bat starts to get stressed then I’m sorry. The bat is going because that’s what needs to come first. But we could certainly talk more about that, no problem at all. JN

Ok, great. Understood.

[To Chris] Lovely to have met you. Really appreciate it.

My pleasure. [CS exits meeting. SH, NT and JN walk out of the workshop]

Ok, great. So whereabouts did you want to go?

So I just wanted to show a bit of campus, Zac’s pond. There is also a new owl house that’s been built up there, so we can have a look. Originally, I thought maybe the bat structure could be around here [pointing between owl house and pond] because there’s a pond over here. But I don’t know really how that works if an owl house right there.

They eat bats.

Yes. Exactly.

You know, I know of a couple of barns, that have got bats in them and have got barn owls in there as well. It’s not ideal, but that doesn’t mean it’s not doable.

Ok. [points to Zac’s pond] So this pond is rather small, but we were thinking, if it’s on campus and it’s easier to manage. Also, sometimes with the rainfall, this comes pond becomes much bigger and flooded. So would this be the kind of one place to consider in terms of location?

So you’re going to build this in what month?

Ah, around May. I mean, I don’t really know. Is this site, given that its got a body of water, is this considered an attractive place?

You won’t get loads of bats from it just from the size of the pond. This is the thing that I am slightly frustrated with. Um, it would have been lovely to have been having this conversation last year, so we would have more of an idea.

Learning from the Experts

must get hot. Is that tin? I mean it will radiate very quickly as well. And that’s the other thing to think about in terms of the roofing on your building is whether you want to keep it just 100 percent solid wood or we’ll think about having one face, maybe tiles. Slate tiles are brilliant because they allow the heat to penetrate through into the space beneath it. So when people, for instance, they have slate tiles, and they want to reroof their house with clay tiles and we try and ask them not to. Because the clay wouldn’t allow the heat transmitted from tin foil. It’s quite a challenge because it heats up so quickly and so much that it dissipates its heat quite quickly. So I’d be interesting to see what’s underneath there, whether they’re getting into something else. Yeah. I mean, maybe we could quick look.

I cannot believe that this space is not used by bats. Maybe not the middle bit, but coming around all these edges you’ve got lots. Just looking at these buildings. It would be a nightmare if somebody said I want to knock right down and check it out for bats. JN

I could actually tell you. So I’ve been speaking to the staff on campus, and I know for sure that the Caretaker’s house [pointing at the Caretaker’s House], that’s what the building is called.Charlie lives there with his family and at the top, maybe we could walk closer to there [walking to the house]. And so Charlie’s house. So apparently it’s right where the metal corrugated sheets and the wood meets [pointing at the edge of building volume and roof]. There’s a gap right there. And they come out especially in the warmer months. A lot of them come out of that gap.

So you have got a bat roost here then.

Yes. I think so, in there [pointing]. I’m starting to pull out the architectural drawings for this building because I want to know if there’s insulation in there and maybe that they live in the insulation, but maybe because the insulation is felt maybe they can crawl through that?

If you’ve got pads of insulation, they wouldn’t burrow, generally speaking. But what they’re looking for, particularly crevice dwellers are classic house tiles. Just a straightforward tiled house, you’ve got the felt, the batons and the tiles. That’s the sort of space that they’re looking for, really quite tightly packed in. What they’ll do is if you imagine fingers of the batons with the tiles laid on top of them, they’ll be hanging around on the top tile.

Ok.

So you just get them going on rows and rows and rows. They won’t be looking for something to burrow in, to be been looking for a space for them to crawl into.

OK, I see. Yeah.

It’s interesting that its beneath the corrugated sheet as well because that

[Walk closer to Caretaker’s House] Okay. Just to get an idea.

So it might be that they’re inside this cladding, because I imagine that cladding set on batons. So it could be that if they’re getting in here, they’re actually down inside there rather than underneath the sheet, if you see where I’m coming from.

Okay, so it’s more on the wall surface.

It might be. It would be interesting to see the hole and and see where they are getting in. But, you know, we’ve got several roosts where, you know, the bats might be coming in where I am. They’re actually roosting over there [pointing other side of roof]. So they’re going and crawling along quite some way.

They can crawl quite far.

Yes. Just because they come out of one hole doesn’t mean they’re roosting immediately behind it.

Right. So we actually don’t even know how far they would go if they were roosting in it. This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (5/11).

Learning from the Experts

It would depend on how the thing’s built and where they where their event, where they’re able to get to it. What intrigues me about it is the sheet would transmit heat quite quickly. But this would here [cladding] would be quite shielded for a lot of the day. Because if they’re breeding, they want some heat in there because the young can’t thermal regulate. So they need heat to start. So this cladding here, I suspect, might not be warm enough unless the heat is able to transmit in some way from the sheet down to the cladding. But without knowing how it’s structured underneath that, it’s not certain. And another thing that Charlie mentioned was that the bats come out of this kind of edge only at the top part, but not at the bottom, because it kind of the roof kind of goes down like this [gesturing slant]. So it’s found its ideal spot by being much higher.

They generally want height because when they take off, when they take off, you’ll see them. They drop because they come out the roofs and then spread their wings out and then drop a little further to get some air over the wings so they get the lift to fly. So that the higher up they are, the more they are able to do it. I mean, it will only drop about this far before in level flight [gesturing less than 1m distance]. That’s one of the reasons you don’t tend to get them really low down because they haven’t got the space to go out.

Right. Okay. And as it is, that kind of an attractive thing to have this kind of overhang as a shade or no?

Generally, no. Because the one thing that if you imagine that. Which is east from here?

Uh, this is north and south.

So if you imagine in summer, it’s probably going to get quite a bit heat anyway because the sun’s out of here. You want some warmth on it, especially, as I say, when they got the young, they need the place to stay warm.. But if it’s in full sun all day, it gets too hot and they’re going to dehydrate. So you want that t mix of condition. So consider if

you were building your meter square thing, considering siting it somewhere where there’s going to be an element of shade on one corner for at least part of the day. So there is cooler environment in there. Imagine yourself in the conservatory all day, how hot and thirsty and how much water you would need to drink in a really hot, sunny day. Does that make sense? JN

Ok. That makes sense. Yeah. I don’t know about this building, whether there are bats or not. It is a student lodge. But there is another student lodge down there where actually students have talked about seeing bats. Also, one of the staff here checked the boiler cupboard underneath the building and he saw bat droppings. So I can show you that.

Ok. The other thing to think about. Is it back in May? late part of May? When you’re doing your build? Because that is the other thing to think about as a means of identifying bats service called dawn swarming. When bats come back to roost before they go into the building, on most mornings, not every morning, but on most mornings, particularly because it’s been a nice, fine night. They will swarm about the entrance. It literally looks like a swarm of bees. We think it’s some kind of socialising, but we don’t really know. If you imagine that’s the hole I go in, they’ll fly up like that [hand gesture] and away again, and we’ll keep doing that and fly around and buzz around. And if you say there was 20 animals using that roost, they’d fill most of that volume of space between that building and this building, doing it very, very noticeable. You can hardly miss them. So if it was an appropriate time to do it and there were people here we could organise at dawn. Everybody get you need to be up two hours before dawn. And it’s still just when the skies lightening but it’s a really good way to find roofs. So that could be that could be an opportunity to get a very quick check of all of the buildings to see if there’s anything funny.

And that ideal time is early May or late May?

Later into May. It could be better because most of them are going to be

Learning from the Experts

given birth sometime in the second half of June. So they’re settling on the place that they’re going to give birth in towards the end of May. So we stop trapping usually the first week of June, by then they’re going heavily pregnant and we don’t want to be disturbing. So the closer to the back end of May, it can be seen. JN

So actually the I should really try and get this building done and just let it sit. So when it comes to that time, like in May, it’s it’s more likely that they would kind of wonder around or explore the roost?

If we’re looking for sort of dawn swarming then that they’re settling where they are. So I’m just thinking in terms of doing the activity of getting up before dawn to see whether there’s any bats.

Ah, Ok. [Walking towards long table by Westminster lodge] So before we go intoWestminster lodge, I just want to show you this. I’ve been sampling roof tiles. I’m trying to use as much free material. This is me and another student, Ele, we’ve been sampling materials.

To build the box out of?

Yeah. So I mean, I don’t know if this is a good idea, but in a way kind of replicating a roof. And I was also able to sample slates.

So are you thinking you would use these on the roof of the box or you would build somehow build the box out these?

I think the structure itself is gonna be timber.

Untreated timber.

Ah, Ok.

Preferably hardwood.

Ok. [writing notes] Hardwood, untreated.

Untreated because you don’t want chemicals harming the bats and softwood has got more of sappy content to it. It’s a bit sticky inside. So hardwood preferably. If you were going to use some of these on the roof I would, I would be looking at slate. On a house

build and you can incorporate this into bat house. On a house build, you would have the rafters then you would put your felt along and you would put your batons on it, then the tiles on the baton. You could replicate that with these, especially if you are doing a bigger box. But the felt would have to be traditional bitumen felt and not breathable membrane. Breathable membrane is woven and when the bats land on it, they unweave it and get their feet caught and die. Whereas the traditional one type 1F, the pressed non-moving felt works. So whenever we are advising a householder it’s got to be this one. It’s pressed non-woven felt and definitely not a breathable membrane regardless of what the some current suppliers are saying. When you e-mail me I’ll send you this product I’m talking about. These are these kind of things that are thick. So, I find bats underneath these tiles sometimes [holding up another tile]. JN

Clay tile. I’m quite surprised because I thought that they like the texture of concrete.

Concrete is actually not so brilliant. Slate is the best material for that. This stuff (concrete tiles) takes a lot longer to heat up. Whereas slate is much more reactive. I mean, when I look at a house and it’s got concrete tiles, I’m not saying the golden rule is they’re not in there. You do find them. You find them much more often underneath slate tiles. Slate, if you can. Slate is the best. If you’re going to use these four, if you’re going to do a roof on it like that, my recommendation would be slate.

Okay. And do slate because, you know, sometimes you see the boxes that are vertical. Is this enough texture for them to crawl up?

I see what you mean. No, no. If you’re going to build the vertical surfaces, rough sawn and rough wood is the best thing. This is where it gets quite interesting because things like this, they can land and crawl on that. So this sort of thing, This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (6/11).

Learning from the Experts

if that was your your vertical wall, I got nothing to hang on to (slate tile). It’s way too small, whereas that would allow them to crawl (concrete tile). But in terms of the actual covering of the roof, this (slate tile) would be better than those. Every surface that you think it might be in contact with, it’s possible to roughen it. I don’t mean like really, really, but just not plain, I guess is what I’m saying.

So actually, these ones (concrete tiles) as vertical surfaces for them to crawl up into space is Ok?

Not impossible.

That’s good to know because I have been doing some research and what I read about is that it’s the texture (such as concrete, that is favourable), but they don’t talk so much about the heating of the surface.

For instance, you’ve got a brick wall and your barge boards on a building. They might roost on the brick at the back of it. But not as a thing to allow heat transmission. It’s interesting, we do get some roosts in Burbeck stone, which is really, really thick, but quite often it’s because there are small roost spaces inside of it. So the heat once retained in there, is amazing. The stones themselves aren’t the reason for a roosting place. Yeah, it’s that heat transmission that you are interested in.

Oh, nice. That’s wonderful. Thank you so much for coming.

My pleasure.

Ok. I will come by to join you in a second.

Ok, so maybe we could walk around this way. [Under Westminster lodge]. This is just a sheet and underneath this insulation. So, I mean, and to me, this looks like possible bats living under here because there’s so much crawlspace? But I don’t know and here [pointing at the boiler cupboard] There’s been sightings of bat droppings in there. Yeah. I mean, you’re welcome to open it if you want.

Do you have a torch?

I just have a light on my phone. Here.

Yes. Look at them. [picks up droppings for inspection]. See how it crumbles. Yeah, that’s bits of insect. If you looked at under a microscope, you can see things, scales and all sorts of things.

Is that a lot then?

It’s a reasonable number. I mean, it doesn’t scream maternity colony at me. It doesn’t look massively new, but they certainly been in here in the last year or two.

So how would you know if it’s a maternity, based on the droppings?

It usually, without counting bats, at this time of year that would be a small colony. It’s not impossible but quite a small maternity colony. I just think, you know, each individual bat, ten or a dozen or more droppings a day and then think that they’re in there for a couple of months, you would have a lot more droppings in there. It’s not impossible, but it would be very small if it were a maternity colony.

Ok. Yeah. [walk to the other side of the cupboard] So I kind of walked by here with my friend and we were wondering if this is maybe it’s a bird’s nest. I don’t know but there are these holes.

Yeah. That’s small mammals. Generally speaking, bats don’t really borrow. They tend to land and crawl. And the other

Right. [AL arrives by car near Westminster lodge]

That’s actually in my tutor. Hi Aude-line. So, this is Nick and Steve. I’m not sure if you have met Steve?

Ah yes. I am the mothman.

Yes, and the batman.

Hi, hi. Are you going for a survey?

I am showing them a bit of campus and the spots where we know there are bats. I don’t know if we have that much time but we could walk down to the area close to the pond. We were also just talking bout materials.

Learning from the Experts

thing you see sometimes is that because they’re mammals, they’ve got oil in their fur, just like we’ve got a bit of oil in our hair. So if you imagine were going in there and they’re landing and doing that day after day after day, you will get a bit of staining there like some one washed it with a little bit of sort of thinned down brown paint. And that’s an indication of quite a few bats going in. JN

You will see that on concrete? [pointing at concrete slab behind the cupboard].

Not always. Again, if you’ve not got that many bats. Obviously, there’s not that much oil getting deposited so you might not get that same side. Usually when you’ve got a good number going in, you get those kind of stains. But another thing you’ll get is, is those droppings that we’ve just seen in there stuck to the vertical surface. So if they’re going in here before they go in and sometimes as they come out, they poop, and it sticks to the vertical surface.

Ok. So you think that’s an old roost?

It’s not very old. They’ve been in there in the last couple, three years. When bats poo, it comes out quite shiny, black and shiny because it’s the bits of insect they can’t eat. And think how your fingernail. That’s a little bit of a shine to it. So if you had lots of fingernail clippings and you just scrunch them together really tight. That dry. But it’s black. That’s what the droppings looks like when it’s brand new. As it gets old, it gets much more brown, kind of the colour of our boots. Somewhere between maybe a bit closer to yours. It gets browner and less shiny and duller. But we don’t know how long that takes. Depends on the environmental condition. So it could take three or four years or it could take 15 years. So all you can say is that those those droppings in there were put in there, some of them at least some time in the last two, three, four years.

There’s no way to tell if they were to come back to this particular roost?

They will come back to it’s one of the reasons that they’re protected because they’re coming back for sometimes generations and many, many, many, many generations, decades. So the reason is that is because that’s where

they want to be, because that’s the good place for them, you know? We’re talking about the house earlier. You’ve got your nice house where you want it to be. That’s where you want to stay. It’s the same with them. They want to stay at that place. So they’ll come back year after year after year after year. What will happen sometimes is that they have never I was talking about the different roofs when they’re breeding, when they are mating, and when they are hibernating, all of those places can be in one site or they can be a multiple site. All of those places can be in one site or they can be a multiple site. So they might be mating in here, breeding over there, hibernating over there, doing something else over there. So this could be a roost that’s used for a particular period of time at a particular point in their life cycle and it’s only used at that point time each year. The rest of the time, the bats wouldn’t be there because of wherever else they need to be. JN

Right. Ok. So if I’m building structure I’m not really focusing on the kind of roost it’s going to be a maternity roost or hibernation roost, or whatever else? I just need to build a structure that has a variation in temperature.

Yes. But you do want part of it where there is heat transmission. It is important. We we do get breeding colonies of species called Natterer’s and long eared that are both woodland specialists, but they tend to be in the boxes that have got a little bit of light and hence heat being able to get to them. You put them right in dense conifer like that, it will very unlikely to get used. Although that would be a really good place to feed because Conifer stays warm later in the year. It doesn’t lose the heat. Of course, there’s no leaves. But from a bat box perspective, that’s too thick. You never get any sun. So although they generate heat by clustering, the solar insulation will help them. And so they’ll go to the place where they use less energy. So if they can get in a box where they can cluster but they can get higher heat because the box in the This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (7/11).

Learning from the Experts

air around it itself is warm. That’s less energy they’re using than you would have to use it to those those trees. So something in deep woodland generally isn’t as good.

Right.

And it also quite intriguing with the buildings here. A lot of these trees I can’t see much evidence of things like woodpeckers or natural splits in trees. But because they rely on either woodpeckers excavating holes or splits down to weathering lightning strikes, trees falling over, whatever it might be, natural features that are created, by the way the woodland ages. This is quite heavily managed. So I imagine a lot of the trees that might provide those kind of features have been taken out. So the perfect woodland for bats is what we call minimum intervention areas. Basically, you just leave it to be natural if a tree falls over and it snagged on another tree. You leave it because eventually will crack it. Rot and split. And that creates a placement. So heavily manage woodlands can be quite a challenge from a bat perspective for a living. You see what I mean? Because there isn’t any natural places for them to go which could be advantageous for your box because you’re providing them something that you haven’t got out there.

Yeah. OK.

So you need heat getting into it. Right. But without being in the lack of saying, without being in the baking soda, you don’t want it to be. There are some boxes that have been built for the sides of houses that are actually heated, fastened on the house. And then you take your way inside and heat them up. And they’ve met with mixed success, the camera. The trouble is, you’ve then got a cost of using electricity. So if you can put something up that gets the sun’s heat, you know.

Yeah. And do you think insulation strategy might help or more sun exposure?

I have seen boxes that had some insulation. In fact I found a bat roost, they had an external water tank which

they then put a plywood box around and then they’d put insulation on the inside of the box because obviously didn’t want the water to freeze in winter. And the there was a little bit where the insulation had fallen off and the bats were flying in and roosting on that. So they will use those kind of areas. But if you do think about maybe insulating the walls, I would suggest using it as a closed unit. So would either side with the insulation in the middle, if that’s what you’re thinking of doing, because then they won’t get into the insulation. There’s no issues around that kind of material. But they still got the insulation affected. The wood insulation would so like a closed unit. Okay. Oh, We’ve got to look at the pond as well. JN

Yeah. So do the pond. Yeah. I mean, it’s not as dense as this, but it’s still kind of under a thick canopy. I mean, I want to hear what you have to say, because originally I thought, “oh, this would be a great site”. But then actually we spoke to an ecologist and she said there should be a distance between the water body and, you know, there needs to be more sunlight. I mean, she hasn’t been here. She was telling me that, you know, be more aware of too much canopy for a bat roost.

I mean, we have a colony of that Bechstien’s and we have bat boxes in the woodlands. Part of it is managed for coppice. So it’s felled every five or six years. It’s got strands like this in it but the hasel understory is cut down every five or six years. If you read the books, the books will tell you that Bechstien’s bats will not use an actively managed coppice. Because the understory that I was talking earlier, yes, they do use this one. And I think it’s because the boxes get more sun. So they’re in there when the babies are very young and then they’re moving into the other woodland. So that’s but when they’re when they’re living somewhere where it’s really hot. That’s disadvantageous for the females because they’re having to use energy to keep cool but it’s advantageous for the babies. As soon as they get to the point where the babies can thermal regulate, they move out of the hot spaces. And that’s the other thing about, you know, whether you want to think about

Learning from the Experts

if it’s feasible instead of doing one meter by meter, do two meter by half meter boxes. Yeah, you could put them in two different slightly different places. Yeah. So you’re offering rather than trying to put all of your conditions into one box, have two boxes and put them in two different places, one of which has got a bit more so than the other. JN

Yeah, that’s true. But same kind of design/build.

Exactly. Two of them put them in different conditions because whatever you’re doing, your box is going to be great, I’m sure. But it’s still going to be in one set of environmental conditions. Whereas if you could split to put them in two places. Do you want to go look at the pond then?

I will go back now. But before I go, I just want to say thank you for your generosity. Research really depend on experts that are willing to give their time.

You know, Nick and I we’re getting old and it’s essential that the youngsters pick up the things we have learned to keep it going. I’ve worked with Chris for many, many years. I just think if you can sew a seed into someone’s head, you’ve got to share what you know.

Yeah. It’s great. She’s translating everything in drawings, in writing. So hopefully it can all come together.

Well, lots of people have done different bits of designs of boxes. Some have worked. Some haven’t. And some haven’t worked and then three years later the bats move in. There’s so much of an unknown about it that anything that comes along with a new thought, a new angle, a new idea is good.

Because it’s true that there is very little literature, especially in the building aspect for architects to actually understand something like this.

It’s a massive frustration from us as bat workers. As well as being a volunteer, I do that work. I get paid to do the job. And if you come up with a brilliant idea that works in a house, quite a lot of people won’t share that because that’s their selling point. They can then say,

“I’ve got about design that works and I’m going to help you put that in”. But if you tell everybody, then everybody else can go and do that. My view is, if you tell everybody, then all the bats benefit. Because if I’ve done something five times and it hasn’t worked and you’ve done something five times and it’s worked every time, I should be doing what you’re doing, not what I’m doing. But if you don’t tell me, I can’t. So I keep doing stuff that doesn’t work and that doesn’t help with bats. You keep doing stuff that’s great. If you share, that is everybody’s’ gain. But unfortunately, most consultants think if they’ve got something in the works, they won’t share. Unfortunately, it’s quite a lot of people in this game for the money, rather. I guess it’s not unique to bats, but it is very frustrating that people are doing stuff but not sharing what works. So you know, you build this box also any works. Actually, still good information if it doesn’t work because you don’t know why not. And they say it could be that two years later, everything moves in. And that’s why I think one thing to think about is rather than build one big one build two smaller ones. I can send you some pictures of them. So if you imagine was that big box about this size [hand gesture]. Put one box on this side of the pole and one on the other side. So the boxes themselves are identical. They have got different orientation and different amount of sunlight. Maybe this one facing north. And this one facing South. So this is getting lots of sun over the summer and this one less so. And if you could come up with a design that would allow them to move from here to there without a lot of air moving between the two. So if this was your box, you want to have buffer to slant and the warm air up here because you want the warm air to rise and stay. So if you if you have a mechanism to allow them to get to one box from the other. And I would do it like that. You with me? This is warm. This is cold. JN

Yeah. Yeah. This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (8/11).

Learning from the Experts

So this side stays cooler than this side. So they’ve got that difference in temperature.

Does that kind of bat box design already exist?

I’m not aware of that kind of thing. I mean we’ve used it where there are people doing reroofing. We’ve put those kind of crawl tubes to help bats get from one place to another. So maybe their whole roost was along here. And there’s something that’s got to go here because of the build of the house. And we’ve come up with an idea to allow them to crawl around and still occupy the rest of the rest of the box. But I’m not aware of it in bat boxes. I’m not saying it isn’t done, but I’m not aware of it. Give it a go. It could be interesting.

Have you seen the bat box in the Shed? I mean it hasn’t worked but maybe it needs more time.

Why do you say it hasn’t worked?

Because Chris said he hasn’t seen any bats droppings and it’s been there for a few years.

But recently I think Zac, our campus warden, saw two owls fly in here.

It was a barn owl, Chris showed me. It’s quite regular to have barn owls but it’s quite unusual for a wood.

You know, there is a wonderful concept in ecology that says ‘absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’. [Looking up at bat box] Now, if I were to put up a bat box, I would have put it at the top of that post and put it on this face. Remember, the bats are going to drop out. Yeah. So that box, if they drop out of that box, they haven’t got very far before they’re hitting something. I’m not saying that’s the reason why it’s not working, but I would have brought round on the face this way. So when they drop, they’ve got a whole clear space underneath them.

Right.

They probably only need about that much open space underneath. Some flow over the wings to get them lift. Now, they don’t need a lot and they

certainly can if they have to take off off the ground. Because if you’re pretty stupid evolutionary technique, if you land on the floor and you can’t get back up again, but it is hard work for them to do it. So they want somewhere where they can drop. JN

Are there any papers or readings on the distance crevice-bats drop before catching air over their wings?

I don’t think so. I mean, our experience of Pipistrelle and it depends on the species because long-eared bats can hover. They are phenomenal. You watch them hunting in the wild and they pick moths off the tree and they go up and down, they look like like fluttering butterflies. And they’re astonishing to watch. They they don’t need much of a drop at all because they’ve got really broad wings and the narrower the wings, the more drop you need. On our maternity colonies are pips are dropping a meter-ish. Unfortunately a lot of those things are all -ish. Danny, have you got Danny’s contact (Danielle Linton)? It might be worth asking whether something exists that I’m not aware of. But she’s looked more into the scientific community than I am. But I would that this bat box is not in the best position and that’s possibly why it’s not working.

We can tell Chris to move it. It might have more success. Sometimes I have bird boxes facing the wrong way and the bird never goes in it. You put it 90 degrees that way, it works. As Nick says, you just don’t know it.

If you think about it, it’s kind of if you’re a wild bird and human beings aren’t anywhere near you, you’ve got to take whatever hole exist. So you’re not going to go “I’m not using that because it doesn’t face north”. And the very early examples of putting bat boxes that said, you should put three up on a tree, one facing north, one southeast and one southwest to give the best conditions. That was the advice at the time. I think it’s probably tosh now. I think like birds, but bats will probably have more roosting opportunities because it’s using crevices and all things they go to use whatever it is. The big thing about bat boxes is that you don’t want to put it near a branch. And

Learning from the Experts

the thing about that is that imagine an owl or a Sparrowhawk could sit on one of those branches and if you imagine, that’s the hole where the bat is coming out of. It’s going to be stuck out that much [hand gesture] before it drops because it comes and takes a little look around.If a bird was sat on the side as a raptor. You’d see that as it comes off straight for the catch. SH

Sparrowhawk will reach one foot.

I would suggest that’s just not a good spot.

Let Chris know.

Ok. I have another question. So when I went to Wytham Woods in Oxford, they had all these Schwegler bird boxes for blue tits and great tits. And they said that Pipistrelle and Noctule bats also live in there. I’m just wondering, in terms of this crevice bats like what other birds cohabit with them?

In the boxes that we got, it tends to be things like blue tits, coal tits and great tits. They tend to be the biggies to get in these boxes, I guess, because they’re, generally speaking, holes in the size that really worked for them. In terms of bats cohabiting together, I’ve seen Bechstein’s, Noctules, Daubentons, you will get you will get different species will roost together sometimes quite close. We were doing some radio tracking last week and there were three different species in one tree, but they weren’t breeding. That was at a time when they were just moving. So they will cohabit and sometimes they’ll cohabit in the breeding season as well.

Ok. And when they cohabit as a colony, do they stick together within a colony or do they mix? We don’t have that much information in terms of pictures of bats in place, but we suspect that they probably sit on opposite and not roosting together. Yeah. I mean, I did see what was interesting in Poland. I did see these greater mouseeared in this kind of size [hand gesture]. And they’re almost like tiles when they hang up. And they come down three or four levels. And when you look at

the bottom of them, the bottom of the cluster has a gap. And we did find smaller bats tucked up underneath there. And I wondered if they were using it as a crevice because it was effectively getting a nice little warm body right here and there. But I think generally speaking, I don’t know enough to say whether they would cluster together. But I suspect they would be separate within the box. So you’re here for a week, two weeks, and that’s it. You’ll never come back? JN

I’ll come. I’ll come back. Yes. I mean, doing this project really made me realize how there is so much more we don’t know. We have for example, we have this architect’s data book (Neufert Book). And it’s kind of a technical guidebook. Generally, most architecture offices have this book to use as reference. In the book, the only time they talk about animals is zoo enclosures or farming. And that kind of bothered me because zoos are I mean, in my opinion, it shouldn’t really be a thing anymore. And farming. Ok. You know, sure. But I just kind of critiquing this book and I’m trying to open up this conversation that maybe an architect should design whilst thinking about wildlife.

I will send you a link that the Bat Conservation Trust was involved with, incorporating swift and bat boxes in buildings.

I wonder if it’s the same book. I bought a book and they (Bat Conservation Trust) did a book that’s kind of in collaboration with the the Royal British Institute of Architects. A book called Designing for Biodiversity, a technical guide. It was a book I overlooked at first because the book’s cover had a bird on it.

I think we might be talking about the same book.

Yeah.it’s really interesting. But the thing is, it kind of overlaps a lot with birds and bats. So I found it really interesting and it’s given me a lot of information. But I think because like you said, bats, there’s some things like bats, surroundings, woodlands, and that’s just not got This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (9/11).

Learning from the Experts

enough information for me. I think it’s hard to grasp because it’s really wildlife that is unpredictable sometimes.

Built Environment Officer from the Bat Conservation Trust, I will put you in touch with her. She’s spending a lot of the time working with builders and I think with architects as well. And it might be that you’re coming at the same problem from different directions and I’m sure she’d love to talk to you about it. Because from the commercial side of my job, it’s a frustration that every time I try and convince the architect to put in something for bats or swifts, they can’t be bothered. Do you know of the national planning policy framework? Basically, what NPPF says is not only should development not negatively impacted biodiversity, it should seek to positively enhance it. So the idea is, whatever you’re doing, it shouldn’t be enough to replace a bat box with a bat box, it should be two bat boxes or more. I mean, that’s a very simplistic view but you know what I mean. There are some aspects of the NPPF that may hopefully become enshrined in law under what they call a net biodiversity gain. The idea is that you will be legally obliged when undertaking some work on your property, to implement features for biodiversity even if you had none in there in the first place.

Ok.

So what you’re doing is exceptionally timely. Because from bat worker perspective, the biggest frustration (without being wanting to be nasty about architects) dealing with people who just say no or they have no concept of what it is you’re trying to do. So we put bat access tiles in the roof to allow the bats to get in. You find people saying, oh well we’ll use a ventilation pipe. But a ventilation pipe is smooth and shiny. So the bats can go in but they can’t get out because there’s nothing to grip on. So you can’t use it but they don’t understand why that’s the issue. So getting that kind of information across to people about the early stages and having a guidebook like that would be great.

I’m really surprised because, you know, there are many environmental design

there are many environmental design projects and it is such a big thing but really, how much of the environment and ecology is actually considered. For example, there is construction concept we call passive houses design. It’s a building standard that focuses on energy efficiency and airtightness, which then takes away that opportunity for a bird, bat or a or any building-reliant species to roost or nest. So I mean, this kind of like, yeah, we’ve got to be more environmentally friendly but then now that these species are more and more reliant on the structures that we build we should be more aware. NT

That is amazing to hear. It is, it is really a sealed box. Yeah. I mean, I understand the idea behind why people want to do it terms of energy.

Yeah. But they’re not really looking at the bigger picture. They’re just really thinking about the house itself.

And also know we come across a lot of conversations with architects where they say we can’t use traditional felt, they say it’s got to be breathable membrane but traditional felt is against building regulations. It’s kind of just all those little myths and stories that are in there saying we can’t do that because we actually know that’s not the case. So having you do something is amazing.

[arrive at the pond] Yeah. So this is the site. Obviously it’s a bit grey today. Zac, he built that bird watch tower right there

And do you see many birds from it?

I’m not around here a lot so I don’t know. I mean, I hear a lot of birds every time I’m here, but I don’t always see them. In the beginning I thought that this was a good space for a bat roost because of this kind of water area with all of this green forage area and it’s slightly open, but maybe I’m wrong because there’s not enough of an opening.

I think if we had half a dozen, eight small bat boxes, a bit similar to the size of the ones in the shed, maybe give it a go. But for what you’re talking about. I would go for a more open location.

Ok. So why would it make sense for a more smaller boxes here?

Learning from the Experts

They would be smaller in volume. Particularly in a conifer plantation, they’d be no natural, almost no natural roosting opportunities here. So but small bat boxes in conifer plantations can work quite well. You might have a number of species about in here that won’t go very far, so they won’t go to find one. So giving them a roosting opportunity where they are is a is a big plus, but also the smaller boxes. You got less of a volume of air inside them as well. So if you get 20 bats in your box, you bats in one of those. The temperature in one of those is going to be higher. But if somebody said to me, you got the choice of this whole site to put bat boxes. This wouldn’t be the first place I would do it. I think it’s a much nicer areas elsewhere that would work better. If you had a three year project and you could build five of the book finally boxes. I might put one here to contrast. But given the nature of your project, I’d put it near where we’ve been.

Ok. That’s good to know.

Yeah, but this is I mean, you see how dark it is now. This ain’t gonna get any better in summer. These places can be good in spring and in autumn, because this place in autumn, will be warmer as the leaves start to drop in the broadly woodlands. So you get more insects in here and it’ll be warmer on average over the winter because this lot will keep the heat in. But this is just too dense.

defined? NT

Hard to say. The difficulty with placement.If you think you’re putting if we were in a broadleaf woodland, you’ll put them up along the ride because they’re easy to get to. You don’t have to back a few trees with a ladder. But the thing is, species like Bechstein’s, long eared and Natterers feed in the woodland, not in woodland edges. But generally, if you put bat boxes along the ride in a woodland, you get pipistrelles in particular because they’re not in the places the species wants to be. So I think given given the size of the box your and you’re contemplating, yes, I would be tempted to think about doing two, site all of them on campus. One of them somewhere in the ground of the campus. The other one closer to the side of the woodland. You’ve got the whole different species element to it but also you got the different time of year. They may find one and sometimes you get groups of pipistrelle in boxes in autumn and not in summer. And they’re using in mating roosts. So be one or two or three or four males and hardly any females. They don’t use them to breed but they work perfectly for mating. Yeah. And obviously that’s just as important from a lifestyle. [walking back to campus]

So, you know, if you think they’re using that building well before you make a final decision, I think it would be quite interesting for you to look at the structure around like you’re saying you were going to do about where they’re coming out of the Caretaker’s House. Where are they coming out and where can they get to from that point within the building? Because that’s got to be working for them. And I would say go 4 to 5 meters high in height.

Ok.

And also think about somewhere like this is that even in summer, this will be a magnet for the colder air just because of the nature of the slope. So you will quite often find, unless they’re more open, that little streams like this through kind of a plantation’s on noticeably cooler than the hills that we are heading back up to.

So does it make sense that, like, if at the moment, it seems like the campus is maybe more of an ideal spot?

Ok. I’m going to have to pitch that to Zac because I told him I want it two meters high.

Ok, you could get maybe 3 meters. Say 3 to 4 meters. I think 2 meters is probably a bit low.

I think so.

But then if let’s say, to move around or to have other kind of potential sites, would it be good along the bigger walkways where there’s more tree lines

This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (10/11).

Learning from the Experts

Yeah. I kind of have to play by the rules of this campus as well.

Well, considering the sign of dogs, you’ve got the public coming through here as well. I think it’s worth considering the implications.

Yeah. Oh, I have one more question. If it potentially becomes a roost where people can come and monitor and actually look inside. Is there anything that I need to consider?

No, we would look at it, stand outside and count what comes out. I mean, we open up that boxes because we’re ringing bats like Danny (Danielle Linton) is, we’ve got a study ongoing so we need to get in, get the bats out, look at them, age them sex and put a ring on them all. That sort of stuff you expect us to do. We need to get in there to do that.

I actually have another question. Maybe I just haven’t read enough about this but as far as agricultural farming and pesticides. how does that affect bats?

Horrendous because it is killing all of it. So if you if you look at a typical agricultural field. Bats have been sprayed to death. If you look at most declines in most species, biodiversity generally, declining either because the numbers of places they can breed in have been removed or reduced the number of places that they can feed. So agricultural changes, we are not blaming the farmers for this as they are giving us what we want at the end of the day. But you imagine here was the most fantastic place in the world for bats to live in and a kilometre over there was the best food in the world. But it just had a big open arable field in front of it with no hedgerows , it wouldn’t work because the bats won’t fly across that much open space most of the time. There’s been some evidence suggests that pipistrelles will stop at a gap of 50 metres from a hedge and they’ll turn back. So it is two things: pesticides and hedgerow removal. And so you had the hedgerow is a habitat in its own right for a whole bunch of species. So bat will be able to differentiate surfaces and objects from how the echo comes back, we’ve seen records of bats commuting down roads. Some guys in Poland were radio tracking bats and they were following

it along and the bats was following the road. And when it got to a crossroads, it turned left and it went down the road, it was using the signal received from the road. But imagine that was over two miles square. Nothing to differentiate where you are. It’s all going to be homogenous. They need those things, most bat species, need something to differentiate here from there or here from them. So if you’ve taken all of your hedgerows out and you know, we use combine harvester. So we’ve reduced the number of farmers on the field and they don’t work in small fields. One of the reasons France has got some fantastic wildlife is that it has got lots of small fields with big hedges. We’ve got these enormous fields that combines work and the only way they’ll work is to take hedgerows and. Hundreds of thousands of kilometres of hedgerows have gone. So in doing that, you remove the habitat, you remove the guidance, the mechanism by which the bat gets from A to B. It’s a desert. It just breaks my heart when I see these massive, great, arable fields. JN

And I guess it means that for each species they have their own unique echolocation? And depending on the species, they will go different distances?

Let’s say that roost. Ignoring the habitat for a minute. Let’s say that roost was long-eared bats. They might not that whole colony might not go further than we can see (those trees in close distance) the whole year. They might not know where it might go as far that. Imagine a circle, that radius drawn on that building. The whole colony might not go further than that because they’re really slow fliers. So it’s really hard work for them to get any significant distance. Noctules will come out of there and they might go 15 kilometers that way to feed. So noctules don’t need those hedgerows to navigate. So they’re not using physical features in the same way. They are still echolocating looking ahead of them but they’re not using the individual trees and hedgerows in the same way. Whereas for Brown longeraed, Natterer’s, Pipistrelles, hedgerows are absolutely crucial. Okay.

So then there they are the ones that stay within Hooke Park and then they are

Learning from the Experts

ones that go to other woodlands and come back?

Oh yeah! There is a lot of information but it’s really good.

And I mean, I think the interesting thing looking around for me is, is perhaps because of the manage nature of it, I don’t see a lot of natural roost features as we’re walking around. So a lot of the things that would accumulate in a woodland that isn’t managed or isn’t managed forestry have been taken out for all the reasons that you need to do that in a managed woodland. So it’s it’s going to be interesting if we come back on track to see what we find in here, because there aren’t those opportunities that would normally be, which is why I think your boxes are going to be quite exciting.

Well you have got my card, any questions just drop me an email and we can talk about it.

Great! Thank you so much.

My pleasure.

It would be so interesting. We put nest boxes here in the late 90s. Andy, Paul and Chris were here because then it was a very young forest. And there were no birds! So he put about a hundred nest boxes round that big loop and now that the trees are bigger and are slowly rotting so they can maybe find a hole. When I was here in 1999, they were all young trees. But now it’s getting better. But with the tawny owls, we have put boxes up like chimneys and the next week they were in them! They came from outside. They went straight in. I seen that first year we brought in about 30 chicks.

Wow.

So you can help. You can help.

I mean, so I think when you when you put your boxes up, the bats that are here will notice the boxes are here. Whether they will use them, we will find out.

Well, I’ll just have to test it out.

That’s why I think if you can, I appreciate there is a lot to think about, but if you do two boxes so they sit in two different conditions, I think that would be quite interesting. Because the thing you can not control is the environment. So you can make the box as lovely as you can make it, sit is somewhere and see what happens.

Yeah. Great!

So is that Ok? With the notes? Does this help?

This interview was conducted on March 4th, 2020 at Hooke Park, AA Woodland Campus. The following pages show selected excerpts from the full interview (11/11).

An Introduction to Bats

Common name

Dimensions

Weight

Colour

Diet

Barbastelle

Head & body length: 40mm - 52mm Wingspan: 230mm - 285m5

6g - 13g

Fur dark, lighter tips on back. Skin surfaces black or brown.

Mainly small moths, some fl beetles.

Bechstein’s bat

Head & body length: 43mm - 53mm Wingspan: 250mm - 300mm

7g - 13g

Pale to reddish brown fur, greyish underneath. Pink face.

Dung flies, grasshoppers an weevils, moths and flies.

Brandt’s bat

Head & body length: 38mm- 50mm Wingspan: 230mm - 285mm

4.5g - 9.5g

Fur dark grey or brown, golden tips on back, greyish underneath.

Moths, other small insects a spiders.

Brown long-eared

Head & body length: 37mm - 52mm Wingspan: 230mm - 285mm

6g - 12g

Adults have light brown fur, pale underneath; juveniles greyish.

Moths, beetles, flies, earwig spiders

Common pipistrelle

Head & body length: 35mm - 45mm Wingspan: 200mm - 235mm

3g - 8g

Medium to dark brown. Face and around the eyes are usually dark.

Small flies, aquatic midges mosquitoes.

Daubenton’s bat

Head & body length: 45mm - 55mm Wingspan: 240mm - 275mm

7g - 12g

Fur red brown, pale underneath; Pinkish face, bare around the eyes.

Small flies, (especially chiro midges), caddisflies and ma

Greater horseshoe bat

Head & body length: 57mm - 71mm Wingspan: 350mm - 400mm

17g - 34g

Adults buff borwn, juveniles greyish.

Chafers, dung beetles, noctu moths, craneflies and caddi

Greater mouse-eared bat

Head & body length: 65mm - 80mm Wingspan: 365mm - 450mm

24g - 40g

Dorsal fur is a sandy colour which contrasts strongly with the white fur underneath.

Larger insects (such as moth cockchafrers, crickets, beetle spiders)

Grey long-eared bat

Head & body length: 41mm - 58mm Wingspan: 255mm - 300mm

7g - 12g

Larger and greyer than the brown long eared bat. Face often darker with a blackish mask.

Moths, Diptera (mainly Tipu crane flies), small beetles.

Leisler’s bat

Head & body length: 50mm - 70mm Wingspan: 260mm - 320mm

12g - 20g

Fur golden-tipped or reddish brown, darker at base.

Flies, moths, caddis flies, be

Lesser horseshoe bat

Head & body length: 35mm - 45mm Wingspan: 200mm - 250mm

5g - 9g

Adults pinky buff-brown; juveniles greyish (until 1 year old).

Flies (usually midges), smal caddis flies, lacewings, beet small wasps and spiders.

Nathusius’ pipistrelle

Head & body length: 46mm - 55mm Wingspan: 228mm - 250mm

6g - 16g

Reddish brown with frosted tips on the belly. The ears, membranes and face are usually dark.

Medium sized insects (such aquatic flies, midges, mosq and caddis flies).

Natterer’s bat

Head & body length: 40mm - 50mm Wingspan: 245mm - 300mm

7g - 12g

Fur light buff brown or black, white underneath. Bare pink face.

Flies (mainly midges), smal caddis flies, lacewings, beet small wasps, spiders.

Noctule

Head & body length: 37mm - 48mm Wingspan: 320mm - 400mm

18g - 40g

Adults sleek chocolate brown, juveniles and some females dull chocolate brown.

Moths, beetles (mainly chaf dung beeltes), mayflies and ants.

Serotine

Head & body length: 58mm - 80mm Wingspan: 320mm - 380mm

15g - 35g

Fur dark brown above, pale underneath; face and ears black.

Flies and moths, chafers an beetles

Soprano pipistrelle

Head & body length: 35mm - 45mm Wingspan: 320mm - 400mm

3g - 8g

Medium to dark brown. Face and around the eyes usually pink on colour.

Small flies, particularly mid mosquitoes that are associa with water.

Whiskered bat

Head & body length: 35mm - 48mm Wingspan: 210mm - 240mm

4g - 8g

Fur dark grey or brown; golden tips on back, greyish underneath.

Moths, other small insects a spiders,.

List of Bat Species in the UK

An Introduction to Bats

Echolocation

Emergence

Flight Pattern

flies and

32kHz

30mins - 60mins after sunset

Fast, purposeful flight in vegetation and along habitat edges.

Up to 23 years.

nd nut

50kHz

30mins after sunset

Flies at different heights in vegetation with a slow, fluttering flight which is very agile even in confined spaces.

Up to 21 years.

and

33kHz - 50kHz; loudest at 45kHz

30mins after sunset

Fast and straight flight at head height along habitat edges. More associated with woodland than Whiskered bats.

Up to 40 years.

gs, and

25kHz - 50kHz; peak at 35kHz

45mins - 65mins after sunset

Slow, fluttering, agile flight in vegetation with occasional hovering pauses.

Up to 30 years.

45kHz - 70kHz

20mins - 30mins; occasionally before sunset.

Fast, erratic flight at head height often along habitat edges.

4 - 5 years.

onomid ayflies.

35kHz - 85 kHz; loudest at 45kHz 50kHz

40mins - 50mins after sunset

Fast, stright flight most often low over smooth water and sometimes along habitat edges.

Up to 22 years.

uid is flies.

82kHz

40mins - 50mins after sunset

Slow, fluttering flight with short glides close to the ground alonog habitat edges or in vegetation.

Up to 30 years.

hs, es,

22kHz - 86kHz

No information on emergence.

No information on flight pattern.

ulids-

29.8kHz - 62.5kHz

45mins - 65mins after sunset

Slow, fluttering, agile flight in vegetation with occasional hovering pauses.

5 - 9 years.

eetles.

15kHz - 45kHz

10mins - 15mins; occasionally before sunset.

Fast, straight flight above trees in open habitats. Dives less steeply when hunting than the Noctule bat.

8 years.

ll moths, tles,

110kHz

40mins - 50mins after sunset

Fairly fast and skilful flight close to the ground along habitat edges or in vegetation.

4 years.

36kHz - 40kHz

20mins - 30mins after sunset

Fast, erratic flight at head height along habitat edges. Not as manouvarable as other pipistrelle bats in vegetation.

Up to 16 years.

ll moths, tles,

35kHz - 80kHz; peak at 50kHz

40mins - 60mins after sunset

Fast and agile flight at head height in habitat edges and sometimes low over water.

7 years.

fer and d winged

20kHz - 45kHz; peak at 35kHz

5mins - 10mins; occasionally before sunset.

Fast, straight flight above trees in open habitats. Dives steeply when hunting.

4 - 5 years.

nd dung

15kHz - 65kHz; peak at 25kHz - 30kHz

20mins - 25mins; occasionally before sunset.

Relatively slow flight above roof height. Flies in loops in open areas and much closer to vegetation than notcule bats.

Up to 19 years.

dges and ated

55kHz - 80kHz

20mins - 30mins; occasionally before sunset.

Fast, erratic flight at head height often along habitat edges.

4 -5 years.

32kHz - 89kHz; loudest at 45kHz

30mins after sunset

Fast and straight flight at head height along habitat edges.

4 years.

and

h as quitoes

and

Flight Picture

No information on flight picture.

Life Span

Up to 18 years.

Bats are mammals and account for more than a quarter of mammal species in the UK. Currently, there are 17 known bat species in the UK. These include bat species that inhabit small, local areas year round and bat species that migrate from UK across Europe. There are two known species that exist in Hooke Park: the Serotine bat and the Pipistrelle bat; which specific pipistrelle species is still yet to be confirmed.

Source: Historic England. Bats in Traditional Buildings. p. 12-13.

In the UK, Bat species are insect insectivorous and play crucial roles in the ecosystem:

Bats are biodiversity indicators. Bats are pollinators. Bats are seed dispersers. Bats are pest control.

The image (from top) shows a Serotine Bat, Common pipistrelle, Soprano pipistrelle and a Nathusius pipistrelle. Source: Nottinghamshire Bat Group.

An Introduction to Bats

“In Britain all bat species and their roosts are legally pr 1981 (WCA)’ and ‘The Conservation (Natural Habitats & This means you may be committing a criminal offence 1. Deliberately take , injure or kill a wild bat

2. Intentionally or recklessly disturb a bat in its roost or

3. Damage or destroy a place used by bats for breeding occupying the roost at the time)

4. Possess or advertise/sell/exchange a bat of a species alive) or any part of a bat.

5. Intentionally or recklessly obstruct access to a bat ro

An Introduction to Bats

rotected by ‘The Wildlife Countryside Act &c.) Regulations 1994’. if you:

r deliberately disturb a group of bats.

g or resting (roosts) (even if bats are not

s found in the wild in the EU (dead or

oost.”

Source: Bat Conservation Trust.

An Introduction to Bats

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Hibernating. Using stored fat as fuel. Heart beats six times during hiberation.

Hibernating. Little fat left.

Signs of limited activity. Small numbers feed at night. Food to top up fat reserves.

Active and hungry. Become torpid again when cold.

Fully active. Females search for suitable nursery sites. Separation of male and female reoosts. Females pregnant for six to nine weeks.

The young are born.

Transition Hibernation Roost

Life of a Bat in One Year

Maternity Roost /

An Introduction to Bats

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Mothers suckle their young almost full size; others still very small.

Females desert nusery sites and seek males. Juveniles begin catching insects.

Mating takes place. Fat begins to build up ready for winter. Females store sperm for the Spring.

More mating. Seeking suitable hibernation sites. Periods of tarpor.

More mating. Seeking suitable hibernation sites. Periods of torpor.

Hibernation.

nal Roost

/ Satellite Roost

Hibernation Roost Mating Roost

Day / Night Roost

Humans are rarely in direct contact with bats. They are usually quite hidden as they hibernate most of the winter months and only come out during the warm summer nights. They may find different cracks, crevices and holes at different times during the year in all sorts of environments to roost but tend to look for water bodies or wooded areas in forage for food.

Source: Bat Conservation Trust.

An Introduction to Bats

2 2 3

2 4 5

Roost in Caves

Bat Roost in Trees

Cracks in rocks

Navigational aid

Dark tunnels

Crack in tree

4 5

Bat Roost Typologies

Rotten hole Behind the ivy plant Under the tree bark

Bat Roost

Stone

Slate

An Introduction to Bats

2 3

3 4 4 1

Bat Roost in Houses

in Bridges

pieces

Bat Roost in Buildings

Barge board and roof felt

e tiles

Broken tiles

Space between downpipe Metal elements on balconies

Eaves

Hanging tiles 5

Porch

Cellar

Quoins

Loose motar between bricks 5

Wood cladding

Bats do not build their own roosts. Instead, they are opportunistic mammals that rely on already built structures. They roost in cracks, crevice and holes of structures such as caves or quarries, trees, bridges, houses and buildings.

Source: Bat Conservation Trust.

Crevice-dwelling Bats (that tend to be hidden from view)

An Introduction to Bats

Access Dimensions

Roosting/Nesting Dimensions

Height of Entry

20 - 50mm (w) x 15 - 20mm (h)

Any size as long as some components of the area are crevices in the region of 20 - 30mm

2 - 7m

Greater total areas of about 1sq m would be useful for nursery (summer) roosts Male roosts contain smaller numbers of bats or even individual bats Roof dwelling bats need timber joists to roost

Crevice-dwelling Bats (that may be visible on roof timbers)

20 - 50mm (w) x 15 - 20mm (h)

Any size as long as some components of the area are crevices in the region of 20 - 30mm

Over 2m

Greater total areas of about 1sq m would be useful for nursery (summer) roosts Male roosts contain smaller numbers of bats or even individual bats Roof dwelling bats need timber joists to roost

Crevice-dwelling Bats (require flight space in certain types of roost)

20 - 50mm (w) x 15 - 20mm (h)

5m (w) x 2.8m (h) x 5m (d)

Over 2m

Not trussed, to allow flight Ideally 2.8m height, but a height of 2m may be acceptable in some circumstances To incorporate roost crevices, dimensions as above for crevice-dwelling bats

Bats that need flight space and flying access (Horseshoe bats)

Lesser horseshoe bats: 300 (w) x 200mm (h)

5m (w) x 2.8m (h) x 5m (d) Not trussed, to allow flight

Greater horseshoe bats: 400mm (w) x 300mm (h)

Bat Roost Preferences

Ideally 2.8m height, but a height of 2m may be acceptable in some circumstances

Above 5m abo ground and a from obstruct and creepers

ove away tions

An Introduction to Bats

Aspect of Roost

Temperature °C Summer

Winter

Summer nusery roosts on most southerly side or westerly aspect for solar heating. However, the risk of overheating should be considered. A location that provides a stable microclimate/regime mmay work better than one that heats up quickly and loses heat quickly

30 - 40 °C 0 - 6 °C (day time)

The crevice-roosting provision within the roost to be located on the south or west side for solar heating. or in the most thermally stable condition

30 - 40 °C

Rough (for grip), natural materials such as untreated timber, stone or masonary is preferred

Suitable thermal properties (reducing 24-hour fluctuations), but allowing suitable thermal gain for summer roosts

0 - 6 °C

Rough (for grip), natural materials such as untreated timber, stone or masonary is preferred Not toxic or corrosive and no risk of entanglement Suitable thermal properties (reducing 24-hour fluctuations), but allowing suitable thermal gain for summer roosts

30 - 40 °C

0 - 6 °C

The location of the flight area is not as important

The roost is most likely to be in a roof space; this should have an orientation that allows a southfacing solar gain or an L-shape to allow temperature-range choice

Materials and Other Comments

Not toxic or corrosive and no risk of entanglement

The location of the flight area is not as important

The crevice-roosting provision within the roost to be located on the south or west side for solar heating. or in the most thermally stable condition

30 - 40 °C

6 - 10 °C

All UK bat species fall into four different categories of bat roost prefrences: There are crevice-dwelling bats like prefer to be hidden from view, crevicedwelling bats that may be visible on roof timbers, crevice-dwelling bats that require interior flight space, and bats that need flying access and interior flight space. Most speces fall into the categories of crevice-dwelling bats, apart from Horseshoe bats that need flying access and interior flight space.

Source: Designing for Biodiversity: A technical Guide for new and existing buildings by K. Gunnell, B. Murphy and Dr. C. Willamas.

The Case of Hooke Park

Bats in Hooke Park

Although bats are drawn to woodland landscapes, it is believed that the bats of Hooke Park forage in the woods but do not live in it. In the interview with Nick Tomlinson, he explains: “I can’t see much evidence of woodpecker holes or natural splits in these trees. Bats rely on either woodpeckers excavating holes, tree splits due to lightning strikes, trees fall, whatever it might be, natural features that are created by the way the woodland ages… heavily managed woodlands can be quite a challenge from a bat perspective for a living, which is why it is quite intriguing with the campus buildings here.”

Source: Photo taken by Ke Yang, Diploma 18 student.

Bats in Hooke Park

Existing Roosts in Hooke Park

Bats in Hooke Park

N PIPE

Through conversations with Christopher Sadd and Charlie Wright, it was revealed that there are currently three knwon bat roosts in Hooke Park:

The Big Shed (2012)

The Caretakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House (2009-2010)

Westmister Lodge (1996)

Bats in Hooke Park

Source: Photo taken by Joyce Ng.

The Big Shed was designed by students of Design and Make and Diploma Unit 19 in 2012. The installation of the bat box was arranged by Christopher Sadd in 2018. There is currently no evidence of bat inhabiting the roost.

Bats in Hooke Park

2 3

Restricted vertical distance

Placement of bat box: no optimized warmth

Perching spots for predatory birds

Appropriate height for bat roost

Bats in Hooke Park

Source: Photo from DesignBoom.

The Caretakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House at Hooke Park was designed and built by Intermediate 2 from 2009-2010. According to Charlie Wright, bats could be found flying out of the roof most summers.

Bats in Hooke Park

Corrogated metal roof sheet PTimber beam

Insulation

Dry Wall Interior Space

Bats in Hooke Park

Source: AA Archive

The Westminster Lodge was designed and built by Edward Cullinan Architects in 1996. There is currently evidence that a maternity colony lives under the floorboards, accessed through the boiler cupboard.

Bats in Hooke Park

Boiler Cupboard

Timber beam

Waterproofing sheet 4

Floorboard

Bats in Hooke Park

Source: Photo taken by Joyce Ng.

Recently, students from Experimental School found a bat in their room whilst staying at Westminster Lodge. The study shows the route in which the bat took to find its way into the room.

Bats in Hooke Park

2 4

Timber beam

Void behind shower

Shower pod

Hole in wall

Beyond Hooke Park

Decrease in natural habitats (such as unmanaged ancient woodlands)

The Emergence of Building-Reliant Species

Beyond Hooke Park

Massive historical decline in UK bat populations prior to 1999

Increase in built structure

Historically, bats lived in natural habitats such as woodlands, caves and quarries. However, UK bat populations have declined considerably over the last century. Today, they are under threat from building and development work that affects roosts, loss of habitat, the severing of commuting routes by roads and threats in the home including cat attacks, flypaper and some chemical treatments of building materials.

Beyond Hooke Park

RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Template

RIBA Plan of Work 2020

The RIBA Plan of Work organises the process of briefing, designing, delivering, maintaining, operating and using a building into eight stages. It is a framework for all disciplines on construction projects and should be used solely as guidance for the preparation of detailed professional services and building contracts.

Strategic Definition

Preparation and Briefing

Co De

Stage Boundaries:

Stage Outcome

The best means of achieving the Client Requirements confirmed

Stages 0-4 will generally be undertaken one after the other. Stages 4 and 5 will overlap in the Project Programme for most projects. Stage 5 commences when the contractor takes possession of the site and finishes at Practical Completion. Stage 6 starts with the handover of the building to the client immediately after Practical Completion and finishes at the end of the Defects Liability Period. Stage 7 starts concurrently with Stage 6 and lasts for the life of the building.

Planning Note: Planning Applications are generally submitted at the end of Stage 3 and should only be submitted earlier when the threshold of information required has been met. If a Planning Application is made during Stage 3, a midstage gateway should be determined and it should be clear to the project team which tasks and deliverables will be required. See Overview guidance.

RIBA Plan of Work: Bat Surveys

Procurement: The RIBA Plan of Work is procurement neutral – See Overview guidance for a detailed description of how each stage might be adjusted to accommodate the requirements of the Procurement Strategy. ER CP

Employer’s Requirements Contractor’s Proposals

at the end of the stage

Projects span fro

If the outcome determines that a building is the best means of achieving the Client Requirements, the client proceeds to Stage 1

Core Tasks

Prepare Client Requirements

during the stage

Develop Business Case for feasible options including review of Project Risks and Project Budget

Project Strategies might include: – Conservation (if applicable) – Cost – Fire Safety – Health and Safety – Inclusive Design – Planning – Plan for Use – Procurement – Sustainability See RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Overview for detailed guidance on Project Strategies

Core Statutory Processes

Ratify option that best delivers Client Requirements

Arch appr align

Prepare Project Brief including Project Outcomes and Sustainability Outcomes, Quality Aspirations and Spatial Requirements

Prep Con Stra requ Cos and

Undertake Feasibility Studies Agree Project Budget

The Stag resp Con

Agre Dero

Review Feedback from previous projects

Source Site Information including Site Surveys

Undertake Site Appraisals

Prepare Project Programme

Und with Stak

Prepare Project Execution Plan

Prep Prog

No design team required for Stages 0 and 1. Client advisers may be appointed to the client team to provide strategic advice and design thinking before Stage 2 commences.

Strategic appraisal of Planning considerations

during the stage:

Planning Building Regulations Health and Safety (CDM)

Procurement Route

Project Brief approved by the client and confirmed that it can be accommodated on the site

Source pre-application Planning Advice

Obta Plan

Initiate collation of health and safety Pre-construction Information

Agre Reg

Opt Plan

Traditional

Design & Build 1 Stage Design & Build 2 Stage

Appoint client team

Appoint design team

Management Contract Construction Management Contractor-led

Information Exchanges

at the end of the stage

Client Requirements

Project Brief

Proj

Business Case

Feasibility Studies

Sign

Site Information

Proj

Project Budget

Outl

Project Programme

Cos

Procurement Strategy Responsibility Matrix Information Requirements Core RIBA Plan of Work terms are defined in the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Overview glossary and set in Bold Type.

Beyond Hooke Park

oncept esign

Spatial Coordination

Technical Design

Manufacturing and Construction Handover

Use

om Stage 1 to Stage 6; the outcome of Stage 0 may be the decision to initiate a project and Stage 7 covers the ongoing use of the building.

hitectural Concept roved by the client and ned to the Project Brief

Architectural and engineering information Spatially Coordinated

brief remains “live” during ge 2 and is derogated in ponse to the Architectural ncept

Photograph 1 Frontage of 1-2 Lincolns Inn’s Field.

pare Architectural ncept incorporating ategic Engineering uirements and aligned to st Plan, Project Strategies Outline Specification

ee Project Brief ogations

dertake Design Reviews h client and Project keholders

Undertake Design Studies, Engineering Analysis and Cost Exercises to test Architectural Concept resultingPhotograph in Spatially 2 Coordinated design aligned Slate tile pitched roof and chimney breasts. to updated Cost Plan, Project Strategies and Outline Specification Initiate Change Control Procedures Photograph 3 Prepare stage Design Programme

Underground vaults at the basement level. Gaps were evident in the concrete above the wooden doors.

pare stage Design gramme

All design information required to manufacture and construct the project completed

Manufacturing, construction and Commissioning completed

There is Photograph 4 no design work in Stage 5 than responding to Site Stage 4 will overlap with Stage 5 above theother Loose bricks window on the northern elevation which may Queries on most projects provide roosting opportunities for

Finalise Site Logistics Manufacture Building Systems and construct Photograph 5 building

Prepare and coordinate design team Building and broken slate roof tiles Systems information Missingproviding potential roosting opportunities for crevice-dwelling Monitor progress against bat species. Construction Programme Prepare and integrate specialist subcontractor Inspect Construction Quality Building Systems Resolve Site Queries as information required Photograph 6 Prepare stage Design Missing brick at the base of the Undertake Commissioning Programme chimney providing potential roosting opportunities for crevicebuilding dwellingof bat species.

Submit Building Regulations 23 Application

Carry out Construction 23 Phase Plan

ee route to Building gulations compliance

Prepare and submit Planning Application

Discharge precommencement Planning Conditions

Comply with Planning Conditions related to construction

The Ecology Consultancy 1-2 Lincolns Inn Field, London /Preliminary Roost Assessment / David Chipperfield Architects

Photograph 9

View inside roof void of 1 Lincolns Inn Fields. The loft space was lined with bitumen felt which was lifted in places, providing potential roosting opportunities for crevice-dwelling bat species.

Comply with Planning 24 Conditions as required

The Ecology Consultancy 1-2 Lincolns Inn Field, London /Preliminary Roost Assessment / David Chipperfield Architects

Adaptation of a building (at the end of its useful life) triggers a new Stage 0

Comply with Planning Conditions as required

The Ecology Consultancy 1-2 Lincolns Inn Field, London /Preliminary Roost Assessment / David Chipperfield Architects

Appoint contractor

Since bats became protected by the ‘The Wildlife Countryside Act 1981 Appoint contractor (WCA)’,ERitCPhas been required by law to obtain bat survey reports as part Appoint Facilities Management Appoint ofagreement gettingCPplanning permission. Surveys need to show whether and Assetprotected Management teams, and Pre-contract services contractor strategic advisers as needed species are present in the area or nearby, and how they use the site. Preferred bidder

Appoint contractor

ject Brief Derogations

Signed off Stage Report

Manufacturing Information

Project Strategies

Construction Information

ject Strategies

Updated Outline Specification

Final Specifications

tline Specification

Implement Facilities Management and Asset Management

Submit form F10 to HSE if applicable

ned off Stage Report

st Plan

Stage 7 starts concurrently with Stage 6 and lasts for the life of the building

Prepare Construction Phase Plan

Tender

Building used, operated and maintained efficiently

Undertake review of Project Performance Undertake Post Occupancy Photograph 8 Evaluation of building View inside roof void of 1 Lincolns Undertake seasonal Inn Fields with king post roof formation. performance in use Commissioning Verify Project Outcomes Rectify defects including Sustainability Complete initial Aftercare Outcomes tasks including light touch Post Occupancy Evaluation

Building handover tasks bridge Stages 5 and 6 as set out in the Plan for Use Strategy

Review design against Building Regulations

Appoint contractor

Slipped ridge tile on western elevation of 1 Lincolns Inn Fields providing potential access for bats into the roof void.

Hand over building in line with Plan for Use Strategy

Prepare Building Manual

tain pre-application nning Advice

See Planning Note for guidance on submitting a Planning Application earlier than at end of Stage 3

Photograph 7

crevice-dwelling species.

Develop architectural and engineering technical design

Specialist subcontractor designs are prepared and reviewed during Stage 4

tion: submit outline nning Application

Building handed over, Aftercare initiated and Building Contract concluded

Updated Cost Plan Planning Application

Residual Project Strategies Building Regulations Application

Building Manual including Health and Safety File and Fire Safety Information Practical Completion certificate including Defects List

Feedback on Project Performance

Feedback from Post Occupancy Evaluation

Final Certificate

Updated Building Manual including Health and Safety File and Fire Safety Information as necessary

Feedback from light touch Post Occupancy Evaluation

Asset Information If Verified Construction Information is required, verification tasks must be defined

Further guidance and detailed stage descriptions are included in the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 Overview.

Beyond Hooke Park

Source: Bat Conservation Trust.

Threat to bats: Habitat Loss â&#x20AC;&#x153;The decrease in bat numbers mirrors the ever-changing countryside. Natural habitats such as hedgerows, woodlands and ponds have been declining and fragmenting. It is important that we create new suitable habitats and manage and enhance existing habitats to help bats recover and survive.â&#x20AC;?

Beyond Hooke Park

Source: Bat Conservation Trust.

Threat to bats: Building Works â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bats using a building are directly threatened by building works if they are present while the work is underway or if a demolition is taking place. If bats disturbed at a particularly sensitive time of year (e.g. during hibernation in winter or when baby bats are born and raised in the summer), it can have hugely detrimental impacts on local bat populations.â&#x20AC;?

Beyond Hooke Park

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

Threat to bats: Permitted Development 2012 With the approved Premitted Development of 2012, homeowners are now allowed to renovate parts of their home without a planning permission. This could greatly affect existing roosts in the building or in the area.

Beyond Hooke Park

Source: Passivhaus Institut.

Threat to bats: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Passiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; House Building developments today aim to be a compact, airsesaled structure for energy efficiency. This decreases roosting opportunities for bats to find warm roosts.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

The NPPF followed a commitment made in 2010 to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;publish and present to parliament a simple and consolidated national planning policy framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social prioritiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. In 2018, the government published a revised NPPF. The new framework focuses on the following key areas: Promoting high quality design for new homes and places, offering stronger protection for the environment, constructing the right number of houses in the right places, and focusing on greater responsibilty and accountability of councils and developers for housing delivery.

Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Biodiversity Net Gain

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) emphasizes that the proposed Biodiversity New Gain 2.0 metric is just one part of the biodiversity puzzle. Existing legislation protecting key species, habitats and designated sites remain. The metric also does not include species composition, habitat structure, ecological functionality, or peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; use or values associated to biodiversity. These all need to be assessed to gain a full picture of the biodiversity contribution in a site.

Source: Department ffor Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Playing with the Ru with Tempora

Playing with the Ru with Exteri

Playing with the Ru with Interi

Playing with the Rules of Architecture

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

ules of Architecture ary Structures

ules of Architecture ior Spaces

Bats are protected species and it is true that one can see building a bat roost as a way for wildlife conservation. However, the status of bat species in the UK could be used to play with the rules or architecture and turn something temporary to permanent due to batsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; protected status. The drawing above illustrates three different approaches.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Slanted surfaces for rain runoff and sun exposure

Height of entry point at least 2m or more

Tunnel for visitors to walk through structure

Project X: A Stand-Alone Bat Roost (Proposal)

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Tiles with max. sun exposure (South facing)

Roof openings

Textured surface for crawling

Interior Flight Space

Entry/Exit Point (North facing)

Human access for bat monitoring

Pale, Scented flowers

Stand alone bat structures can be built anywhere in any size. It can also play with the rule of permanance. Once a structure is built with evidence of bat inhabitation, it is illegal to disturb, harm or obstruct the bats or bat roosts. This rule can be used beyond the bat roost itself. It could be used to intervene or protect a site or an environment.

Crevice-dwelling Bats (that tend to be hidden from view)

An Introduction to Bats

Access Dimensions

Roosting/Nesting Dimensions

Height of Entry

20 - 50mm (w) x 15 - 20mm (h)

Any size as long as some components of the area are crevices in the region of 20 - 30mm

2 - 7m

Greater total areas of about 1sq m would be useful for nursery (summer) roosts Male roosts contain smaller numbers of bats or even individual bats Roof dwelling bats need timber joists to roost

Crevice-dwelling Bats (that may be visible on roof timbers)

20 - 50mm (w) x 15 - 20mm (h)

Any size as long as some components of the area are crevices in the region of 20 - 30mm

Over 2m

Greater total areas of about 1sq m would be useful for nursery (summer) roosts Male roosts contain smaller numbers of bats or even individual bats Roof dwelling bats need timber joists to roost

Crevice-dwelling Bats (require flight space in certain types of roost)

20 - 50mm (w) x 15 - 20mm (h)

5m (w) x 2.8m (h) x 5m (d)

Over 2m

Not trussed, to allow flight Ideally 2.8m height, but a height of 2m may be acceptable in some circumstances To incorporate roost crevices, dimensions as above for crevice-dwelling bats

Bats that need flight space and flying access (Horseshoe bats)

Lesser horseshoe bats: 300 (w) x 200mm (h)

5m (w) x 2.8m (h) x 5m (d) Not trussed, to allow flight

Greater horseshoe bats: 400mm (w) x 300mm (h)

Need for Bat Roost Preferences

Ideally 2.8m height, but a height of 2m may be acceptable in some circumstances

Above 5m abo ground and a from obstruct and creepers

ove away tions

An Introduction to Bats

Aspect of Roost

Temperature °C Summer

Winter

30 - 40 °C 0 - 6 °C (day time)

The crevice-roosting provision within the roost to be located on the south or west side for solar heating. or in the most thermally stable condition

30 - 40 °C

Rough (for grip), natural materials such as untreated timber, stone or masonary is preferred

Suitable thermal properties (reducing 24-hour fluctuations), but allowing suitable thermal gain for summer roosts

0 - 6 °C

30 - 40 °C

0 - 6 °C

The location of the flight area is not as important

The roost is most likely to be in a roof space; this should have an orientation that allows a southfacing solar gain or an L-shape to allow temperature-range choice

Materials and Other Comments

Not toxic or corrosive and no risk of entanglement

The location of the flight area is not as important

The crevice-roosting provision within the roost to be located on the south or west side for solar heating. or in the most thermally stable condition

30 - 40 °C

6 - 10 °C

Most UK bat species are crevice-dwellig species. This means that they like to crawl into spaces to find their roost and sometimes they also like to fly into and inside their roost. This means that the typical bat boxes are simply not enough as different bat species require different roosts ranging in crevice crawling dimensions and interior spaces.

Source: Designing for Biodiversity: A technical Guide for new and existing buildings by K. Gunnell, B. Murphy and Dr. C. Willamas.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Buddleia (Buddleja)

Cherry pie (Heliotropium arborescens)

Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

Michaelmas Daisy (Bellis perennis)

Night-scented catchfly (Silene noctiflora)

Night-scented stock (Matthiola bicornis)

Plants for UK Bats

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)

Lavender (Lavandula)

Nottingham catchfly (Silene nutans)

Soapwort (Sapnoria officinalis)

Tobacco plant (Nicotiana alata)

Flowers are vital for attracting batsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; insect prey. Grow a wide range, as different plants attract different types of insect: Plants with petals that form narrow tubes, daisy-like flowers, pale blue and white coloured flowers and native plants tend to support far more species of insect than hybrids or exotics.

Source: Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Full List of Plants for UK Bats Encouraging the presence of bats require more than just the roost itself. It is also important to consider the surrouding greenery that attract the insect species which entices bat species. Below is a full list of plant species that could be planted in three seasons of the year: Spring (March to June): Acer campestre Acer platanoides Acer pseudoplatanus Acer saccharum Aubrieta deltoidea Aurinia saxatilis Caltha palustris Chaenomeles japonica Chaenomeles speciosa Chaenomeles x superba Cheiranthus cheiri Corylus avellana Crataegus monogyna Erica carnea Erica x darleyensis Euphorbia characias Euphorbia polychroma Hebe spp & cultivars Iberis saxatilis Iberis sempervirens Lunaria annua Malus baccata Malus domestica Malus floribunda Malus hupehensis Malus ‘John Downie’ Malus sargentii Mespilus germanica Primula vulgaris Prunus avium Prunus domestica Prunus incisa Prunus laurocerasus Prunus mume Prunus padus Prunus spinosa Prunus tenella Prunus x yedoensis Pulmonaria angustifolia Pulmonaria saccharata Pyrus communis Ribes sanguineum Romarinus officinalis

Salix caprea Salix hastata ‘Wehrhahnii Salix lanata Silene dioica Smyrnium olusatrum Taraxacum officinale

Summer (June to August): Achillea filipendulina Actaea japonica Agastache foeniculum Ageratum houstonianum Alcea rosea Allium aflatunense Allium christophii Allium giganteum Allium nutans Amberoa moschata Angelica archangelica Angelica gigas Angelica sylvestris Anthemis tinctoria Aruncus dioicus Asparagus officinalis Astrantia major Borago officinalis Buddleja davidii Buddleja globosa Calamintha nepeta ssp nepeta Calendula officinalis Callistephus chinensis Calluna vulgaris cultivars Caryopteris x clandonensis Centaurea atropurpurea Centaurea cyanus Centaurea dealbata Centaurea macrocephala Centaurea montana Centaurea nigra Centaurea scabiosa Centranthus ruber Cheiranthus allioni Chysanthemum x superbum Coreopsis lanceolata Coreopsis tinctoria Coreopsis verticillata Cosmos bipinnatus Cotoneaster horizontalis Cotoneaster microphyllus Crataegus monogyna Cynara cardunculus Dahlia Dianthus barbatus Echinacea purpurea Echinops bannaticus

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Echinops ritro Echinops setifer Erica cinerea Erica erigena Erica vagans Erigeron spp and hybrids Eryngium alpina Eryngium giganteum Eryngium planum Eryngium x tripartitum Eupatorium cannabinum Eupatorium maculatum Ferula communis Foeniculum vulgare Gaillardia x grandiflora Geranium pratense Hebe spp. and cultivars Helenium cultivars Helianthus annua Heliotropium arborescens Heracleum sphondylium Hesperis matrionalis Hydrangea anomala ssp petiolaris Hyssopus officinalis Iberis amara Inula ensifolia Inula hookeri Inula magnifica Jasminum officinale Kalmia latifolia Knautia arvensis Knautia macedonica Lavandula hybrids and cultivars Lavatera olbia Lavatera trimestris Leucanthemum vulgare Ligustrum ovalifolium Limnanthes douglasii Linaria purpurea Lobularia maritima Lonicera periclymenum Lysimachia vulgaris Lychnis coronaria Lythrum salicaria Lythrum virgatum ‘Dropmore Purple Malva moschata Matthiola incana Matthiola longipetala Mentha aquatica Mentha spicata Monarda didyma Myosotis spp Nepeta x faassenii Nicotiania alata Oenothera biennis Onopordum acanthium

Origanum vulgare Papaver rhoeas Phacelia tanacetifolia Pyracantha coccinea Reseda odorata Rosa canina Rosa rubiginosa Rosa rugosa Rosmarinus officinalis Rubus fruticosus Rubus ideaeus Rudbeckia fulgida Rudbeckia hirta Rudbeckia laciniata Scabiosa caucasica Sedum spectabile Sedum telephium Sidalcea malviflora Solidago spp and cultivars Sorbus aria Sorbus aucuparia Tagetes patula Tanacetum vulgare Telekia speciosa Thymus spp Verbascum olympicum Verbascum thapsus Verbena bonariensis Verbena rigida Verbena x hybrida Veronica longiflora Veronicastrum virginicum Viburnum lantana Viburnum opulus

Autumn (September to October): Aconitum carmichaeli Actaea simplex Aster amellus Aster koraiensis Aster lactiflorus Aster novae-angliae Aster novae-belgii Aster oolentangiensis Aster turbinellus Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ Dahlia cultavars Fatsia japonica Hedera colchica Hedera helix Hedera helix ‘Arborescens’ Helianthus x lactiflorus Leucanthemella serotina

Source: ‘Plants for Bats’. Avaliable at: https://www. rhs.org.uk/advice/pdfs/ Plants-for-bats.pdf.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Void (stretches along structure)

Project Y: A Residential House (Under Construction)

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

South facing Roof

Void

A residential home can also be considered to host a bat roost, especially if is close to the ground with a garden. Bats are often unseen (as they come out only in the summer nights) and eat insects in the garden. They are good indicators of the well-being of a garden or environment.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Farncombe Street (Existing) Temperature Variation

Farncombe Street (Existing) Heat Flux

Exterior temperature (winter): 1 째C Interior temperature (winter): 21 째C

The Void: A Study of Temperature Variation

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Farncombe Street (Existing) Temperature Variation

Farncombe Street (Existing) Heat Flux

Exterior temperature (summer): 30 째C Interior temperature (summer): 21 째C

Temperature variation in a bat roost is very important. It allows for the bat to crawl into the most comfortable and ideal space. In the winter time, bats will seek warm roosts. Therefore, voids used for bat roosts can also be studied. Is it possible to share the heat and energy used in the interior living spaces to become shared with the bat roost?

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Insulation

Insu

Timber beam

Fibre cement Timber beam tile

Window

Interior flig space

The Void: A Bat Roost

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

ulation

Insulation

Timber beam

Interior flight space

Fibre cement tile

Roof plant

Window

ght

The void highlighted in the section of the residential project can be designed into a roost by simply creating an access point on the South facing roof. The side of this particular void is substantially larger than a typical bat box which means it could cater to species that require interior flight space.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Void in the vault arch

Project Z: An Apartment Bulding (Completed 2018)

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Void in the vault arch (above carpark)

Taller buildings may have larger voids as part of their structure or design. This would be ideal for crevice-dwelling bats that like to fly into or fly inside their roost. In this particular project, a vault arch was designed for the lobby area. This vault is a large void of about 3.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Concrete panel Concrete panel

Void in vault arch

In-situ concrete

Concrete To Carpark

The Void in the Vault Arch: A Bat Roost

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Concrete panel Concrete panel

Void in vault arch

In-situ concrete

Concrete To Carpark

As shown in the section, with a tunnel access of about 3m, the bats would be able to crawl into the vault arch to roost. Since the void is situated at the core of the building, the bat roost will fit the criteria of pitch darkness and hegh level of warmth.

Concrete panel

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Concrete screed

In-situ concrete

Void

Void former

Concrete panel

Glass

The Void in the Vault Arch: Bat Roost Access

Concrete panel

Conc scre

crete eed

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

In-situ concrete

Concrete panel

Concrete screed

In-situ concrete

Void Concrete panel

Glass

The access tunnel will require the removal a few small bricks and the removal of the void former that stretches about 2m long. This access tunnel will lead straight to the vault.

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Pros Help increase the wellbeing of surrounding environment could preserve the life span of building

Arch (devel archite offi

increase environmental wellbeing

Pros Good for the surrounding greenery increased pollination and seed dispersal in the local habitat pest control

Cons Legal responsibilties Could prevent further extention works

Client (homeowner/ developer)

Part Invovle proj

Fear of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the house

Pros Increase in bat populations Increase in wellbeing of habitats Play important role in projects

The Relationship Between Invovled Parties of a Project

Ba Consu

hitect loper/ ecture fice)

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Cons More work on research and planning to incorporate roost in design Legal risks in the future if require any renovation work

Pros

ties ed in a ject

at ultant

Council (local council)

Cons

Aim to meet the needs of NPPF and the biodiversity New Gain

May interfere with the demand for construction works

Increase the wellbeing of local habitats

legal responsibilities of high number of unstandardized bat roosts

Increase in greenery Help monitor biodiversity

Disapproval from homeowners

Cons Still not considered in the Biodiversity Net Gain Complicated bat surveys in the future if bat roost not designed with monitoring access or harmful materials

To advocate for change, it is important to understand the participants and stakeholders of a project. The key figures are the client, architect, bat worker and the council. Each of the figures hold different priorities and motiviations so how can this diagram help us better understand the push and pull relationship between these parties involved?

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

Map of Bat Roosts in Buildings

Biodiversity Gain in Architectural Practice

If bats were considered in the early intervention stages with great importance, how would the buildings differ in the way they are built? How can the unused spaces of a building serve the vulnerable building-reliant species for biodiversity gain?

This is the story of a bat.

Finding its way through the destroyed woodlands,

looking for a place to roost.

With a lack of woodpecker holes, the bat finds itself competing with other And when the bat finds a roost in an old wildlife. building,

human intrusion forces it to leave the roost.

So what if...

there was a bat roost in the park?

Or...

living with us,

in a roost designed within a new residential home?

Or...

even a roost

designed within the void of a tall buliding?

What more can we do with our architectural knowledge to cater to the vulnerable building-reliant creatures of the natural world?

101

Source: Animation film by Joyce Ng.

102

Bibliography

BCT. (2018) Bats and Artificial Lighting in the UK: Bats and the Built Environment Series. Bat Conservation Trust.

BCT. (2015) Bats and Buildings. Bat Conservation Trust (BCT).

BCT (2006) Commissioned Report No. 160. A review of the success of bat boxes in houses. Bat Conservation Trust & Scottish Natural Heritage.

Christian C. Voigt, Tigga Kingston. (2016) Bats in the Anthropocene: Conservation of Bats in a Changing World. Springers.

Dorset Bat Group. (2019) Dorset Bat Group: Bat Distribution in Dorset. Dorset Bat Group & Dorset Wildlife Trust.

Dorset Bat Group. (2019) Dorset Bat Group: Bat Information Leaflet 1 & 2. Dorset Bat Group & Dorset Wildlife Trust.

Garland, L., Wells, M., Markham. S. (2017) Performance of maternity bat roost structures near Bath, UK. Conservation Evidence 14, 44-45.

Gunnell, K., Grant, G., Williams, C. (2012) Landscape and urban Design for bats and biodiversity. Bat Conservation Trust (BCT).

Nature-Smart Cities. (2018) Nature-Smart Cities: Urban Bat Life. Avaliable at: https://naturesmartcities.com/. (Accessed 3 March 2020).

Schilthuizen, M. (2018) Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution. Macmillan.

Tree, I. (2019) Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm. Picador.

Tuttle, M., Kiser, M., Kiser, S. (2013) The Bat House Builderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Handbook. Bat Conservation International.

Wild West End. (2017) Wild West End. Avaliable at: http://www. wildwestend.london/about. (Accessed 3 March 2020).