About us

We are a group of volunteers who seek to participate in and promote the conservation of bats and their habitats in Warwickshire.

The objectives of the group are to:

  • advance the protection and conservation of bats, their roosts, feeding areas and hibernacula in the areas of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull;
  • educate the public and the Group members in all matters relating to bats;
  • actively participate in the research and recording of bats in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull;
  • train members in the identification, care, and handling of bats and as licensed bat workers;
  • provide a network of volunteers who are able to care for grounded and injured bats.

You can read a copy of the Group's full constitution here.

The Group was initiated in the mid 1980s by Mick Finnemore of WARNACT and fellow enthusiasts. For a number of years after WARNACT had become Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, the bat group was run by Trust staff alongside their official Trust work and in 1989 Warwickshire Bat Group was officially formed. By 1994/5 WBG had grown large enough to become self sufficient and became an entirely separate organisation. Today the Group has a membership of over 80 people and still enjoys a close working relationship with the Wildlife Trust.

Membership of the group is quite mixed, from professional ecologists to enthusiastic amateurs and people who joined the group in order to find out more about bats.

The group is organised by a committee. The committee meets once a month and welcomes members to come along and hear more about what we are trying to do, and to get involved.

The group arranges activities for members, to provide opportunities to see and learn more about bats, plus walks and talks that are open to both members and non-members.

Some members of the group provide care for injured bats. This is specialist role but volunteers to collect grounded bats and take them to one of the qualified carers would be welcome and training for this role can be provided.