Go batty and have a great night out
Have you experienced the magic out walking through a wood at dusk and coming across a bat as it darts around the twilight sky in search of its supper?
An innovative project devised by South Gloucestershire Council's Wild Roots Project and the Batscape Project will enable people, especially those who are visually impaired to visit a number of nature reserves in South Gloucestershire where bats can be detected.
The special packs include location maps, an audio CD, a bat detector, field guides and a tactile and large print of a bat. These will be made available through the library service following the launch of the project in mid-June 2007.
The Bat Audio Trail has been developed in partnership with the South Gloucestershire Disability Action Group, with assistance from the Royal National Institute for the Blind, the Bat Conservation Trust and Kayto Sound.
There have been three trails created at:
- Avon Valley Woodlands Local Nature Reserve in Hanham
- Warmley Forest Park in Warmley
- Wick Golden Valley Local Nature reserve in Wick
Each trail has an audio disk that contains information about the route, bats you are likely to see and a brief history of the site.
Each walk takes about an hour to complete and ranges from three-quarters of a mile to nearly one-and-a-half miles in length. The route follows a specially waymarked trail that has glow in the dark disks to help you find your way around at dusk.
This exciting initiative is just one of a number of projects and events organised by the Wild Roots Project.