Anglian Water are ‘huge fangs’ of bat conservation as annual survey takes place at Beccles and Codham

Volunteers from Anglian Water have been taking part in a national survey to monitor and protect bats at its Beccles Water Recycling Centre in Suffolk and Codham Water Treatment Works in Essex.

The Biodiversity Team at Anglian Water conducted two surveys in June at Beccles Water Recycling Centre and two surveys at Codham Water Treatment Works. Both sites are surrounded by woodlands and hedgerows providing a haven for many bats. There are 18 British bat species in the UK and 16 have been recorded across Suffolk. 

A dedicated team of volunteers from Anglian Water headed to Beccles on Tuesday 20 June and to Codham on Thursday 22 June to complete the final survey for the year. Due to the nature of the bats’ routine, teams volunteered their evenings meeting on location before sunset to begin counting the bats. 

The annual survey takes place every June and is part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme which has been running for over 25 years.  

The programme is run by the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), which is the leading national non-governmental organisation in the conservation of bats and their landscapes since 1991. 

Michael Drew, Biodiversity Advisor at Anglian Water said: 

“We’ve been conducting the National Bat Survey for seven years at Beccles Water Recycling Centre and nine years at Codham Water Treatment Works. Both sites provide a safe haven for the bats and are vital for their survival.  

“At Anglian Water, we recognise that the environment plays an integral role in the services that we provide. We are extremely grateful to our volunteers who have taken part in the bat surveys this year – without them, we wouldn’t be able to provide important data that will help with conservation efforts. 

“Our volunteers meet on site at 8.50pm which is around 30 minutes before the bats will begin to appear. We’ll then use a bat detector that listens out for the bats and as soon as the first bat is spotted, the counting can begin.  

“We track the number of bats that leave the area and then record any that return. This data is then sent to the monitoring programme to assist in their research.” 

BCT’s National Bat Monitoring Programme is designed to discover how bats are faring in the wild along with finding the factors that are important for their survival. Runing since 1996, the surveys provide vital information to the trust, the government and researchers to help inform bat conservation across the UK.  

Sadly, the British bat populations have suffered huge declines in the last century. Many bat species around the world are vulnerable or endangered due to the loss of habitat, food or roosts. Other factors such as pollution, disease, hunting and killing are also factors which can cause a decline. Bats continue to be feared and misunderstood by many but are a vital part of our natural heritage, in the UK all 18 bat species eat insects some of which can damage crops and gardens. 

BCT currently monitor 11 of the UK’s breeding bat species, and their work has shown that a many British bat species are now stable or recovering slowly at the national scale although there are local variations that are yet to be explained.  

Dr. Joe Nunez-Mino from the Bat Conservation Trust said: “We are very grateful to everyone who collects data for the National Bat Monitoring Programme. The information collected by volunteer citizen scientists enable us to monitor how bats are doing and the more data we get the better we can see what is going on. We have a survey suitable for all levels of experience and knowledge and would encourage everyone to take part.” 

During this year’s survey conducted at Beccles, a total of 90 bats were recorded in the area. 

A total of 73 bats were recorded at Codham Water Treatment Works – a number which has improved against 2022 where a total of 30 bats were recorded in the area.  

Anyone can take part in the surveys to help support the vital research for bat conservation. To find out more, visit: www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme