New Zealand Bat Training

High-Risk Activities Course

The first of its kind in NZ, with a constantly updating and DOC approved syllabus. Developed and refined over half a decade, this training includes 'High Risk' activities under the Department of Conservation's Bat Handling Competencies Authorisation scheme, including:

• Assessing potential roost tree use using Acoustic Bat Monitors (Competency 3.1) and assessing site-specific bat presence/absence.
• Vegetation risk assessment for potential bat habitat (Competency 3.3).
• Assessing potential roost tree use using endoscopes for pre-felling surveys with arborists and post-felling checks.
• Background to bat ecology, desktop methods and data management.

Suitable for ecologists looking to start their journey in the bat world and anyone likely to carry out work that requires acoustic bat surveys and/or felling of potential roost trees. Trainees gain access to the Tou-Roa Bat Cave — our collaborative online repository of roost examples, useful documents, thermal footage and data management templates.

Retroactive Assessment of 3.1

Developed by Mike Jones and approved by the Bat Recovery Group, this service offers Trainees who have attended a High Risk Activities course the opportunity to have past acoustic surveys assessed by a Trainer and counted towards the 10+ survey requirements.

This system involves a reflective self-assessment guided by a Trainer to critique the Trainee's previous work through the framework of the High Risk Activities training they received. Limited to a maximum of 3 surveys with detections of bats.

Bat Ecology for Arborists

Designed to provide arborists with skills in assessing potential roost features for bat presence, this course prepares arborists for undertaking tree inspections with ground-based ecologists. Refined through industry practice in both NZ and the UK, this course provides skills including:

• Vegetation risk assessment for potential bat habitat (Competency 3.3).
• Assessing potential roost tree use using endoscopes for pre-felling surveys.
• Habitat de-risking methods for potential roost features.
• Background to bat ecology, industry alignment with ecologists and understanding the DOC tree felling process.

This course also aims to align ecology and arboriculture terminology to make collaboration easier. Trainees gain access to the Tou-Roa Bat Cave.

Supervised Felling Oversight

Designed to provide Trainees who have attended a High Risk course with more on-the-job skills and experience. Trainees undertake tree felling jobs under the supervision of a Trainer experienced in application of the protocols, including:

• Vegetation risk assessment for potential bat habitat (Competency 3.3).
• Acoustic surveys for tree felling (Competency 3.1).
• Assessing potential roost tree use using endoscopes for pre-felling surveys.
• Working with arborists to achieve bat impact mitigation during felling.

Bat Capture & Radio-Tracking Course

The first of its kind: public conservation funded by private training. This course focuses on capture-mark-remark radio-tracking surveys for roost identification, habitat use assessment and population monitoring. Trainees gain experience towards DOC Bat Competencies:

• All High Risk activity competencies (3.1, 3.2 and 3.3).
• Use of free standing harp traps (Competency 1.2, inclusive).
• Use of roost entrance harp traps (Competency 1.3, inclusive).
• Processing of captured bats (Competency 2.1, inclusive).
• Banding of captured bats (Competency 2.2, inclusive).
• Attaching radio transmitters to bats (Competency 2.4, inclusive).

A collaboration with the Department of Conservation Geraldine, held once a year. It funds long-term population monitoring of the Kakahu and nearby bat populations. Trainees also gain access to the Tou-Roa Bat Cave.

Build Your Own Griff Mini

In line with our mission to make bat ecology accessible, we have been constructing and distributing Griff Mini handheld bat detectors to enthusiasts across Aotearoa and the Pacific. Designed by Phil Atkin, the Griff Mini is a cheap (ca. $30) device that turns your phone or tablet into an active handheld bat detector.

This course aims to help get you set up to build and use your own Griff Minis. We are also looking to add build-your-own passive bat recorders to this list, so watch this space.

Suitable for enthusiasts and community groups looking to do some citizen science or backyard monitoring.