Soprano Pipistrelle Roost Count

Twilight on Wednesday 24th June saw Natasha and I at Hanningfield Reservoir (EWT), sat on a picnic blanket, awaiting the emergence of over 500 bats. Essex Bat Group were running a Soprano Pipistrelle Roost Count, part of their work to map bats across Essex and track changes to their populations over time.

Hanningfield Reservoir.

Awaiting bats!

There are 10 species of bat found regularly in Essex, with Common and Soprano Pipistrelles being the two most common. Over 500 Soprano Pipistrelles were counted over the course of the emergence, which took just over an hour - Natasha and I personally counted 364 individual bats! There was also a large bat around, recorded on a bat detector and pegged as "noctule or leisler's or serotine".

Soprano Pipistrelle in blurry flight.

I got involved with the Roost Count at Hanningfield through my involvement with the Langdon Hills Bat Group, which formed last year through the Langdon Living Landscape (under the guidance of Essex Bat Group). We've been out to various sites across the Langdon Ridge to look for bats, and have discovered a number of different species in the area. If you're interested in getting involved with the Langdon Hills Bat Group, I'd recommend getting in touch with John Hunt (at Langdon Hills Country Park) at langdon.hills@btconnect.com. Please remember that all bat species and their roosts are legally protected in Britain.

Adult Learners' Week

 Adult Learners' Week 2015 ran from 13th to 19th June. So the question is, what did you learn?

"Adult Learners’ Week is the UK’s largest  festival of learning, and the overall purpose of the initiative is to raise demand for learning and skills. It highlights the benefits of learning of all kinds, learning for work, informal learning as well as learning for personal development." (wikipedia.org) 

I'm currently learning about "Managing Behaviour for Learning" through a free online course from the Science Learning Network, provided by Canvas.net. We've been learning how to positively influence the behaviour of students through our own behaviour. Interesting stuff if you work in any kind of teaching situation (I'm thinking environmental education sessions!).‎

This is the latest in a number of online courses I've taken (others have included "Cultural Studies & Modern Languages", "Community Journalism" and "Teaching Adult Learners") . I believe quite strongly in continuing development, and not just professional "CPD". With the current online learning revolution, a wide variety of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are available to help you learn about a topic in your spare time around your other commitments. 

According to the UK Adult Learners' Week website, adults in the UK would love to learn new skills such as cooking and baking, playing a musical instrument, or learning a language. Obviously some of the more practical skills might be harder to teach through an online medium, but you will be surprised at the range of courses that are out there. Many are also provided by names which carry weight, such as universities or professional institutions. So although you won't be wearing a cap and gown, you will have the chance to study at Universities across the world and benefit from top-quality teaching from experts in their subjects.

Offline education can involve wearing cool threads. Copyright Will Folsom

Why not put your feet up and learn something new in the comfort of your home?

 My advice is, if you haven't already, take a look at some of the websites below (my favourite MOOC websites so far) to find a course that takes your fancy, whether it's for business or pleasure. With free learning in your own time, there's nothing to lose!

• www.coursera.org 

• www.canvas.net

• www.open2study.com

• www.open.edu/openlearn

• www.futurelearn.com

Knepp Castle Estate Rewilding Project Tour

EuCAN (European Conservation Action Network) have organised a guided tour of the Knepp rewilding project on 5th & 6th July 2015. The tour itself will take place on the Knepp Castle Estate in Sussex for a limited number of EuCAN members and supporters on Monday July 6th, with the option of camping on the estate the night before (July 5th). 

The Knepp Rewilding project is the inspired brainchild of Charles Burrell the owner, and is a very interesting example of an alternative and sustainable method of land management. See http://www.knepp.co.uk/  for full information on the project and the Knepp Estate.

Our re-wilding project uses large herbivores to drive habitat changes across the Estate. The various herbivores cows, deer, horses and pigs - affect the vegetation in different ways helping to create a mosaic of habitats including open grassland, regenerating scrub, bare ground and forested groves." (Knepp Wildland Project).

Costs:
Tour of the Rewilding Project only: £10
Tour, overnight camping, supper and breakfast and picnic lunch: £30 (for those in work or retired:) / £20 (unwaged).
Alweston to Knepp minibus transport return:   £15

Please contact nigel @ eucan.org.uk for further information and to reserve a place. You will be asked to transfer the money on booking into the EuCAN bank account.You can also find more information on the EuCAN website at http://www.eucan.org.uk/uk/agriculture-and-sustainable-land-management/

Knepp Castle © Robin Webster