Bat patrol

We went out late in the evening, coats up to our necks with some bat detectors. They work by picking up frequencies that we normally wouldn’t hear. To the lake we went to find some bats, Daubenton’s bats I believe. On the way, we learned what bats actually sound like (or at least what they sound like through the detectors). Turns out bats sound like a strange hybrid of water droplets on a window and… farts?

It was very exiting when we saw them, zipping over the lake, gone before you knew you’d seen them. There were many collective “oooh”s and “aaaahh”s from the group. After the initial excitement had died down, we started sharing fun facts we knew about bats, which quickly turned to light competition. Did you know that bats have over 20 muscles per ear? But I digress. On the way back, we discussed other nocturnal animals like owls and badgers, the latter my instructor, Becca, is very fond of.

All in all, it was an enjoyable activity, and I learned a lot about nature’s sky puppies.

Coppicing

A lot of people, when they hear the word ‘coppicing,’ think that it must have something to do with copper, but this isn’t the case. In fact, it’s the act of cutting trees like hazel back to the ground like a stool, so the trees grow back with more shoots and manage the woodland. It’s good for many different reasons. For one, the branches we cut off can be used for other things, like bean poles, and it additionally means that more light can reach the ground, so rare flowers can thrive. It’s the same job that things like mammoths and warthogs would do in the past, so we are simply doing their job for them (given that they’re extinct). It’s been done since the Stone Age (yes, that’s right children, before the internet).

I thought it would be a walk in the park; it was exhausting! The branches were thicker than I thought, and it took me longer than I’d like to admit to stop jamming the saw. I will say however, that shouting “Timber!” to your fellow coppicers (if that’s what they’re called) is thrilling. There was wildlife to learn about too; apparently Harvestmen spiders are fond collectors of sawdust, although nobody knows why!

Moth,er... Nature

In the early evening, we set up the moth trap. It was a large wooden box with a small opening at the top, above which was a lightbulb. The lightbulb, we were warned, was really bright and could temporarily blind you if you stared at it like a gecko without a tongue. We left the trap overnight and came back the next morning to see the results.

We found a lot more variety than I expected! Some Orange Swifts, Yellow Underwings, and another with a very long and strange name that I can’t remember for the life of me. We did find one huge Hawk Moth, which was very exciting; Who knew you could get moths that size in this county (certainly not me).

It was originally going to be a moth session for younger children, so they could come and learn about moths and set them free. Since I was doing work experience that week with another volunteer, we had the opportunity to help out with the activities. I enjoyed learning about all the different moths, especially now that I can use specific species names in my stories and brag to my friends about being able to identify them.

(Additional bit by Communities and Education Officer, Becca Badger)

There are several Youth Ranger groups across our three counties. They are designed for secondary-age young people who are interested in local wildlife and global environmental issues, and are a great place for young people to meet others with a similar interest. They are a mix of volunteering, surveys, socials, and walks, supporting young people to learn about and take action for wildlife. Most sessions are attended independently by young people. You can click the link below to find out where your closest group is and how to contact the staff member.