Several members of the Project Team attended this year’s 16th European Bat Research Symposium, which takes place every three years and is the most important event dedicated to bat research and conservation in Europe. This year’s edition took place in Tarragona, Spain, and attracted almost 400 participants, including more than 20 from Poland.
Over the course of several days, three parallel sessions featured numerous lectures showcasing bat research results and conservation efforts from across Europe. Numerous posters were also presented. This wealth of information, workshops and networking sessions makes EBRS a key player in building international cooperation, deepening understanding of bats and promoting their conservation on a broad scale.
During one of the sessions, Renata Paszkiewicz presented the Lesser Horseshoe Bat Protection Programme in Poland and activities carried out as part of the LIFE+ Podkowiec Towers project. Her presentation focused on the practical aspects of Lesser Horseshoe Bat conservation, which fitted perfectly with the main idea of the symposium – the exchange of best practices in bat conservation. Szilárd Bücs from CCCL in Romania also presented the experiences of the project as one example of international activities in his lecture. In addition, we presented a poster illustrating technical solutions for new bat infrastructure.
One of the valuable elements of the event was a study tour in the Ebro Delta, where participants had the opportunity to see, among other things, a bat tower, constructed as a large box suspended on four supports capable of accommodating up to 3,000 bats.
The symposium is not only a place to present research results, but also a space where new ideas are born and best practices in bat research and conservation are improved and put into practice. The event also fosters networking, which can facilitate future joint scientific and conservation projects for these endangered animals across the continent.
The next symposium will take place in 2027 in Wrocław, Poland.
Organisers of the Tarragona conference
Renata Paszkiewicz talked about the LIFE+ Podkowiec Towers project.
Presentation of the LIFE+ Podkowiec Towers project
About the Horseshoe House “Podkowcarnia” in Brenna
Active bat conservation, bats in buildings
Peter Lina, co-founder of the symposium, sole participant in all conferences
The symposium panels are an opportunity for discussion
In the Ebro Delta 
Bat box for 3,000 bats in the Ebro river delta
Announcement of the organiser of the next EBRS
