Emma Stone has been awarded the Vincent Weir Scientific Award, June 2010.

The Vincent Wier Scientific Award aims to reward and encourage research on the conservation biology of bats by young researchers. It is awarded annually to a student at a UK-based institution who has made a significant contribution to the conservation biology of bats. Emma has been awarded the prize for her research on bats and lighting!

White-nose syndrome killing bats spreads west.

History's worst bat-killing disease has now spread farther west. After decimating bat populations in the eastern United States, WNS has now reached Missouri, on the edge of the American Midwest. And White-nose Syndrome has moved northward into Ontario and Quebec in Canada. This disease has killed more than a million bats since it was discovered at a cave in northern New York State in February 2006. Mortality rates approaching 100 percent are reported at some hibernation sites, and entire colonies have been virtually destroyed. WNS has now spread across 12 U.S. states and biologists fear bats throughout North America are at imminent risk. White-nose still defies the efforts of top scientists to find a cure or at least a way to slow it tragic spread. Bat Conservation International is working with many partners to find solutions. for more information about White-nose Syndrome and all of BCI's conservation efforts, visit their website at www.batcon.org.

The Bats and Lighting Project will be at the Festival of Nature!.

Come and see us at the Festival of Nature on the Bristol harbourside, on the 12th & 13th of June. Find out more about bats and lighting and particpate in a public survey about lighting to help us gather information so that we can lobby Government to reduce the environmental impacts of light pollution. Entry is FREE, and the Festival is the UK's largest celebration of the natural world. There is a chance to explore, enjoy and get close to the natural world by taking part in a varied programme of exciting and informative activities. We will be located in the Green Forum. Find out more about the festival here..

New conference announed: Wind energy and Wildlife impacts.

Energy from renewable sources has become increasingly important as part of energy policies, partly due to climate change scenarios. In 2011 scientists and ecologists from all over the world will gather in Norway to share experiences on how wind-power plants may affect wildlife, and discuss how we should meet the challenges created by the world-wide increased activity in large scale wind-power plant construction. Find out more here.

The United Nations has declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity.

The UN are inviting the world to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: biodiversity. Watch the video message from the UN Secretary General below, and click here to find out more.

US man jailed for killing bats.

A federal judge last week sentenced Kentuckians Lonnie W. Skaggs and Kaleb D. Carpenter for killing 105 endangered Indiana bats in Laurel Cave, part of Kentucky's Carter Caves State Resort Park. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) agents, acting on an anonymous tip, arrested Skaggs and Carpenter, who admitted entering Laurel Cave in 2007 and crushing or beating to death 23 of the hibernating bats. Skaggs returned and killed another 82 Indiana bats, the FWS said. Both pleaded guilty to violating the federal Endangered Species Act. Skaggs received eight months jail time and Carpenter faces three years probation. Find out more here.

The bats and lighting project has recently been covered by BBC news online!.Read the article here

New IDA Press Release: Blue/White Light Threatens Animals and People. The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) has issued a press release about the negative impacts of Bluish/White LED and induction lamps.They state that these lights have significant environmental impacts and urge light developers to limit blue light to wavelengths shorter than 500nm. Click here to see the full press release.

Ever wandered how lesser horseshoe bats gave birth, check out this amazing footage!

Knight, T., & Jones, G. (2009) Importance of night roosts for bat conservation: roosting behaviour of the lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros. Endangered Species Research, 8, p79-86.

Jones G., Jacobs, D.S., Kunz, T.H., Willig, M.R., & Racey P,A. (2009) Carpe noctem: the importance of bats as bioindictators. Endangered Species Research, 8, p93-115.

Weinberger, I.C., Bontadina, F., & Arlettaz, R. (2009) Translocation as a conservation tool to supplement relict bat colonies: a pioneer study with endangered horseshoe bats. Endangered Species Research. 8, p41-48.

Ruffell, J., Guilbert, J., Parsons, S. (2009) Translocation of bats as a conservation strategy: previous attempts and potential problems. Endangered Species Research. 8, p 25-31.

Hooper, J.H.D., & Hooper, W.M. (2009) Habits and movements of cave-dwelling bats in Devonshire. Journal of Zoology, 127, p1-26. View the abstract online here.

Smallwood, K.S., & Karas, B. (2009) Avian and Bat Fatality Rates at Old-Generation and Repowered Wind Turbines in California. Journal of Wildlife Management, 73, p1062-1071. Get the abstract here

Baerwald, E.F., Edworthy, J., Holder, M., & Barclay, R.M.R. (2009) A large-scale mitigation experiment to reduce bat fatalities at wind energy facilities. Journal of Wildlife Management, 73, p1077-1081. Get the abstract here.

Freeman, P.W., & Lemen, C.A. (2009) Puncture-resistance of gloves for handling bats. Journal of Wildlife Management, 73, p1251-1254. Get the abstract here.

Racey, P.A. (2009) Bats: status, threats and conservation successes. Endangered Species Research, 8, p1-3.