Activities in the project "Improving the Pond Bat habitats in Estonia"

According to EUROBATS directions, the most frequently required conservation measure for the management of underground habitats is the physical protection of caves and mines against excessive disturbance. This is generally achieved by fitting a grille across the entrance which permits the free passage of bats but not people, though other measures such as security fencing may be needed in some cases. If a grille or fence is to be fitted, it is important to monitor bat numbers before and after fitting to check for any beneficial or adverse effects. There are several proofs that the number of hibernating bats was found to increase after human access had been restricted by installing grilles or sealing entrances. As there have been no previous large-scale bat protection projects in the boreal biogeographic region the important aspect is also on working and testing the EUROBATS suggested methods.

Our project follows in its actions the EUROBATS directions, and therefore the main concrete conservation action to the Pond Bat problems is the restrictions of the unauthorized visitations to the hibernacula. The project consists of following actions implemented by project beneficiaries: