Pupils make bat boxes to tackle population decline

The bat boxes were designed entirely by students

A group of Nottinghamshire students have created hundreds of wooden bat boxes to support species in decline.

A total of 12 different bat species live in Nottinghamshire but habitat loss and human development have affected their numbers.

Pupils at Newark College have created the boxes and they will be given to local schools, in a project organised and paid for by Newark and Sherwood District Council.

Emma Oldham, portfolio holder for climate and the environment at the council, said: "They’re portrayed as spooky creatures, but they’re actually beautiful and very important pollinators.”

Bats now have protection under UK law because of their population decline

Despite their perception, Ms Oldham said parents should not be worried about their presence near schoolgrounds, because bats are nocturnal.

“They’re not interested in humans, they would just be out foraging, trying their best to stay fattened up,” she added.

For the students involved in making the bat boxes, the project has provided an opportunity to do meaningful hands-on work.

Penny Taylor, head of Newark College, said: “We can give them assessment work, but it’s got to mean something.

“Doing a project such as this where they see the vision, the end product, and giving to the customer, is exactly how we want them to feel when they go to work.”

A cosy lifeline

The boxes will be vital as winter approaches because bats are unable to build their own nests, according to Erin McDaid, from the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

He added that modern buildings with fewer gaps, and the loss of large trees, are a double threat to where they usually live.

“Like with bird boxes, they [bat boxes] can make a real difference in supplementing their natural habitats,” he added.

The materials were paid for by the council, but students gave their own time to create the boxes

A similar scheme last year involving bird boxes was only offered to primary schools.

The bat boxes this year will be offered to both primary and secondary schools free of charge.

Any school in Newark and Sherwood interested in receiving a donation must e-mail the council.