What is BatFest?
Organised by the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), BatFest runs throughout September and aims to celebrate bats in the UK.
There are more than 1,400 species of bat in the world, 18 of which are found in the UK (17 are known to be breeding).
What events are taking place for BatFest?
There are a range of events taking place throughout the month. BatFest kicked off on International Bat Night with a free online event hosted by conservationist, TV presenter and president of BCT, Chris Packham, and BCT’s helpline manager Hannah van Hesteren.
“As president of the Bat Conservation Trust I am excited to be involved with BatFest,” says Packham, “a wonderful new festival in our wildlife calendar, a whole month of natural history wonder, brimming with opportunities to discover more about these extraordinary animals. I have always been a huge admirer of bats – here is a chance to find out why! No doubt BatFest will deservedly expand the bat fan club!”
Other events include:
- National Bat Conference: two days of talks, workshops, panel discussions and networking online.
- Bat Science Stage: A virtual poster session with networking to showcase some of the cutting edge science being undertaken by bat researchers, many at early stages of their career.
- Spotlight: Shining a Spotlight on the diverse people involved with bats, both professionally and as a volunteer. Join for live Q&As to find out more about their bat work.
- Global Bat Conservation Showcase – Wednesday 23 September: an online showcase of bats and conservation projects from across the world.
Many of the events are free. A full list of events can be found on the BatFest website.
