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Project
origins
Arlington Court is home to one of the largest colonies of
Lesser Horseshoe bats in the West Country. The court provides a
breeding and hibernation roost and also extensive woodlands as foraging
areas for the bats. The Arlington bat project aims to:
• improve the foraging habitat for the bats
• highlight to the estate’s visitors the importance
of bat roosts and improve their understanding of bat behaviour
• encourage the local community to take an interest in bat
conservation through working with the local school
Action
for biodiversity
A small herd of North Devon cattle now graze the parkland and the
grassland areas within the woodlands. This not only benefits these
valuable habitats, some of which are Marsh Fritillary sites, but
also supplies lots of dung beetles for young bats to feed on when
they emerge from the roost during July and August . Thus the cattle
grazing introduced through the project aids management for two BAP
target species as well as BAP priority habitats.
Through survey work the major bat flight roots from the mansion
to feeding areas within the woodland have been identified and so
their long-term management safeguarded.
Relationships
to sustainable development
The project has raised awareness of not only the importance of Devon's
countryside for bats but also bat conservation in general.
The rare opportunity to see British bats behaving naturally right
above their heads using a high quality bat camera has become a highlight
of a summer trip to Arlington. This has increased interest in guided
tours explaining about conservation and threats to bats.
Local school children produced some of the graphics for the information
boards and their course work has been used as a display. The relationship
with the local school has continued and broadened to include another
primary school.
The project has also promoted interest from many other organisations
that would also like to promote the bats that use their sites.
This increased interest and awareness should help to protect this
valuable site and its bats in the long-term.
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