Bats In Churches Watch Online
UPCOMING EVENTS
BATS IN CHURCHES ONLINE EVENTS
Throughout the project we held a regular online Bats In Churches Live! webinar series, and a range of other online events. All these sessions are available to watch again through our YouTube channel. You may have to accept cookies to watch the videos.
Churches, History & Heritage
Watch our range of Bats In Churches Live sessions featuring the history and heritage of our amazing churches
Wildlife in Churchyards
Churchyards can be wonderful places for wildlife, including, but not limited to, bats.
Join us for this fascinating lunchtime session in which our guest speakers will outline some incredible initiatives managing churchyards for wildlife, and share some success stories as well as practical tips and advice.
Bring your burning questions as we'll be featuring speakers from a range of organisations, not to mention one of our own project churches.
Speakers: Harriet Carty (Caring for God's Acre), Mariko Whyte (Dorset Wildlife Trust's Living Churchyards project), Revd John Saxon & team (All Saints Church, Wimbish, Essex)
2nd May 2023
Church Roofs: Beauty, Bats and Building work
Church roofs are very often more than just a way of keeping out the rain. They are a miracle of carpentry. Their construction over all periods is astonishing, spanning vast spaces using ingenious engineering solutions and displaying beautiful angels, hammer-beams and fan vaulting.
They are also home to bats and the Bats in Churches project is looking into mitigation methods and techniques in church roofs.
This session will look into how interesting church roofs can be and how we can protect bats and the church fabric, while carrying out roof repairs and bat mitigation.
Speakers: Sam Wheeler (Building Surveyor), Andrew Derrick (Heritage Consultant), Jo Fergusson (BCT)
Chair: Rachel Arnold (BiC Heritage Advisor)
28th April 2021
The Wonders of Church Wall Paintings
Our panel will explore the imagery of wall paintings, some of the most famous examples, why they were lost after the Reformation, and how they were eventually uncovered and conserved. We will also discuss how we are working with some churches in our project to protect their medieval wall paintings.
Guests: Roger Rosewell (author), Tobit Curteis (conservator), John Morrison (restoration coordinator)
Chair: Rachel Arnold, BiC Heritage Advisor
27th May 2020
Heritage Treasures in English Churches
Take a deep dive into some of the most unique and special heritage treasures tucked away in English churches.
We'll be joined by experts who will lift the lid on some of the most significant heritage items in our project churches. You'll also hear from Bats in Churches very own heritage advisor Antia all about her work with the project.
Guest speakers: Dr Christina Welch (University of Winchester), Colin Vogel (All Saints Church, Toftrees, Norfolk), Antia Dona Vazquez (Bats in Churches)
24th May 2023
A Date with a Church
Join our panellists while we explore churches, their architecture and interiors. We will look at how they changed over time, how to date them and how to spot ancient survivals.
Churches are fascinating and ancient buildings. Having been constructed, extended and adapted over hundreds of years, a single church can contain styles, materials and interior decoration, from Saxon right through to the twenty-first century.
Looking at and trying to understand a church can be an adventure of investigation. But where do we start? How do we tell the different styles like Early English and Perpendicular or identify a Victorian restoration from a medieval original.
Guest speakers: John Vigar (Ecclesiastical Historian & Author), Dr Louise Hampson (University of York), Jonathan Cerowski (Chartered RIBA Architect)
Chair: Rachel Arnold (BiC Heritage Advisor)
31st March 2021
England’s Church Buildings – Treasure Houses of History
Our panel will explore the importance of the humble parish church looking at architecture, style and use. We will aim to give you some tips on what to look out for when visiting a church and how to make the most of your visit.
Guests: Prof Diarmaid MacCulloch (University of Oxford), Rachel Morley (Friends of Friendless Churches), Janet Berry (ChurchCare, Church of England)
Chair: Rachel Arnold, BiC Heritage Advisor
13th May 2020
Discover Our Brilliant Bats
Watch our range of Bats In Churches Live sessions with a bat theme, from an introduction to British Bats to advice on Bats and Disease
Britain's Bat Story
In this event, we’ll take a closer look at bats, the role they play in the ecosystem and how they live. We’ll be looking at how these mammals have fared over the last century and the protection we have in place to help them.
Guests: Lisa Worledge (BCT), Philip Briggs (BCT)
Chair: Claire Boothby, BiC Training & Surveys Officer
6th May 2020
Bats & Disease: Untangling truth from myth
Join us for a lively lunchtime talk on bats and disease when we'll be untangling truths and busting myths and you'll have the opportunity to ask your burning questions to a panel of top experts in the field.
Our guest speakers will be sharing the science behind bats and coronaviruses, bats and disease in the UK, and we'll be covering some of the most common questions that we've had over the first two years of the project.
Rumour has it there may even be an appearance from a LIVE bat!
Guest speakers: Dr Tom August (Centre of Ecology & Hydrology), Lisa Worledge (BCT), Gail Armstrong aka The Bat Lady
Chair: The Venerable Dave Middlebrook (Archdeacon of Bedfordshire)
10th February 2021
Understanding bats through their DNA
The project is making use of DNA in bat droppings to identify which bat species are using churches, but the study of DNA can help us to learn a lot more than this! We'll be joined by expert guest speakers to explore current research and the secrets that the bat genome holds.
Guests: Prof Fiona Mathews (Ecotype Genetics, University of Sussex & Chair of the Mammal Society), Megan Power (University College Dublin)
Chair: Claire Boothby, BiC Training & Surveys Officer
20th May 2020
Bats In Sacred Spaces
Join us online as we put the topic of Bats in Churches into a global context for International Bat Week. We'll be journeying around the globe to look at bats use of places of spiritual significance, from Christian churches to Hindu temples, to sacred caves of Madagascar. We'll explore how important these structures are for the bats, as well as looking at the interactions between them and the people who cherish these religious sites.
28th October 2021
Special Episodes and Virtual Bat Nights
Virtual bat nights from Norfolk, special interviews and events
Around Britain By Church: In Conversation with Peter Ross
Join us for a very special lunchtime in which Bats in Churches comms officer Cathy will be in conversation with Peter Ross, author of Steeple Chasing: Around Britain By Church.
Peter is an Orwell journalism fellow who has written for national newspapers and magazines in the UK and US. He is also the author of A Tomb With A View: The Stories & Glories of Graveyards which won the non-fiction prize at Scotland's National Book Awards and will be a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week this year.
In Steeple Chasing, Peter sets out to tell the stories of churches, and through them, a story of Britain. We're thrilled that he chose to visit a Bats in Churches project church as part of the creation of the book, and this should be an informative, entertaining and exciting event for church, heritage and travel enthusiasts alike.
Order your copy of Steeple Chasing here
31st May 2023
Virtual Bat Night - Pipistrelles at Thornham
Join us online for a two part Norfolk virtual bat night!
On night one expect a pipistrelle party with expert ecologist Phil Parker and enjoy a tour of beautiful Thornham church with our very own heritage advisor Rachel Arnold
Hear all about the pipistrelle bats that roost at Thornham church and all across Norfolk, how they live, why they love churches and how we're working hard to ensure bats, buildings and humans occupants can continue to thrive and live together successfully in these beautiful surroundings.
23rd October 2020
Bats and Creativity Workshop- Draw A Bat!
Come and celebrate the creativity bats inspire with this FREE hands-on workshop. Learn how to draw a bat with professional illustrator Maisy Inston - all you need is a pen or pencil and paper- and find out more about the creation of our book for children The Little Church Bat
13th April 2023
Virtual Bat Night - Heydon Holy Trinity
Join us on Zoom for Bats in Churches’ first ever virtual bat night from Heydon, Cambridgeshire!
Enjoy a fun and fascinating 90 mins with expert bat ecologist Phil Parker, Bats in Churches heritage advisor Rachel Arnold and the clerk at Heydon's Holy Trinity Angela Bucksey all from the comfort of your own home.
Hear all about Holy Trinity's bats, how they live, why they love the church and how they are working hard to ensure the bats, the building and its human occupants can continue to thrive and live together successfully in their beautiful surroundings.
11th September 2020
Virtual Bat Night - Natterer's at Saxlingham
Join us online for part two of our Norfolk virtual bat night series!
Enjoy a second batty hour with expert bat ecologist Phil Parker and heritage advisor Rachel Arnold. No need to have come to the first event but top marks if you did!
Hear all about the huge roost of Natterer's bats at Saxlingham church, how they live, why they love churches and how we're working hard to ensure bats, buildings and humans occupants can continue to thrive and live together successfully in these beautiful surroundings.
28th October 2020
The Bats In Churches Project
A range of updates and videos from the five years of the Bats In Churches Project
The Bats in Churches Project Round Up
Come and catch up with our incredible engagement officers who have spent the last five (phew!) years working with more than 100 ancient churches around England.
We'll be focusing on two key areas of our work. Firstly, engagement with young people and how we've connected with schools and communities via a range of fun and educational initiatives. And secondly, we'll be talking about some of the mindset shifts we've witnessed and how church communities have really embraced the positives of their resident bats.
Guest speakers: Bats in Churches engagement officers Rose Riddell, Diana Spencer and Honor Gay.
11th May 2023
Community, Heritage, Bats: Finding common ground
Get deep with us this lunchtime and find out how the Bats in Churches project is helping church communities to find common ground between their bats and their historical heritage.
We'll be showcasing the pioneering bat mitigation and community work that has been marching on through a year of lockdown and you'll have the opportunity to ask your burning questions to our determined and unshakeable Engagement Officers.
Speakers: Rose Riddell (North & West), Honor Gay (South & South West), Diana Spencer (East Anglia)
Chair: Ione Fitzpatrick (BiC Communications Officer)
17th February 2021
Flying To The Future- End Of Project Conference
The full video from our 'Flying To The Future' End of Project Conference.
Talks and presentations from churches, architects, ecologists and our project partners celebrating and evaluating the last five years of Bats In Churches.
14th September 2023
Bats in Churches Introduction
Back by popular demand, join us for our bonus Bats in Churches LIVE event to round off the series!
The Bats in Churches Special will be focusing on the project itself, the issue of bats in churches, and some examples of the solutions being trialled with help from a range of extra special guests.
Guests: Phil Parker (ecologist), Sheila Lever (St Pega's church, Peakirk), Rachel Arnold (BiC)
Chair: Ione Fitzpatrick, BiC Comminications Officer
3rd June 2020