On possibly the wettest day of the month Brian and Laura from SNH and the Forestry Commission visited Ardrishaig Primary to tell the eco-committee all about bats!
Brian and Laura hold special bat handling licenses and they explained that you need a licence to legally look into bat boxes or to relocate bats. They told the committee about the work they do in Argyll to protect bats and also about the work he and Laura do to help people who find bats in their houses.
They also told the committee how to keep safe from the risk of rabies. They explained that if it is ever necessary to handle a bat then you should put on your rubber gloves!

Brian showed us some of the special equipment they use to listen to and watch bats. All the children then had a turn of looking into a bat box using a very expensive special endoscope! Brian and Laura helped the pupils make up bat boxes and then the pupils took them out to the playground to choose the best trees to attach them to. Luckily our classroom assistant Karen had managed to track down lots of extra waterproofs for us! Brian and Laura are planning a return visit to the school in September to check up on the bat boxes after the breeding season and the pupils will get the chance to look in the bat boxes using the endoscope.

The eco committee thoroughly enjoyed the visit and also learned a lot about bats. They are planning a special assembly to share this with the rest of the school. A big thanks to Brian and Laura for their time and for sharing their expertise with the eco- committee.