More bat huts are in place!

We have reached the mid-point in erecting bat huts. So far, 50 of them have been built as part of the project. Recently, 20 huts have been erected in the Limanowa and Rymanow forest districts, six of which were built with financial support from the PGE Foundation. As was mentioned, the huts are being built in the areas known as the Land of the Horseshoe Bat, i.e. in the mountainous and highland regions of southern Poland. These are special nocturnal shelters where horseshoe bats can rest during breaks in foraging. Shelters provided by the bat huts reduce the risks related to the nocturnal commuting of bats between the roost and foraging areas. The huts, thanks to a number of solutions, can provide daytime shelters for many bat species, especially during transitional periods, as well as mating shelters.

Ten huts were set up in the Limanowa Forest District, and the construction of three of them was financed by a grant from the PGE Foundation. These three huts were named JP2 Hut, Hut over the Pond and Hut over the Mogilki. The huts were located in attractive locations along the road running around Ciecień Mountain near Szczyrzyc.

Amphibians and bats? By all means! The Hut on the Pond, as the name suggests, stands by the water, the vicinity of which is a place where educational classes on amphibian protection are held. JP2’s hut was set up in the woods on a former fuel depot. The warehouse is visited by horseshoe bats, as our research has shown. The warehouse was slated for demolition, but it got its new role, a second life for bat conservation! It has been connected to the hut and, in this setting, will provide excellent conditions for bats during transitional periods.

In the Rymanów Forest District, the huts financed by the PGE Foundation have been named Chata Wernejówka, Chata nad Polanskim Potokiem, Chata nad Surowiczym Potokiem. Their location between Natura 2000 areas plays a very important role in ensuring connectivity between these areas, the viability and genetic diversity of the bat populations found in these protected areas. New bat roosts in the form of bat huts in the recognized feeding grounds of these species, reduce the dangers of long-distance flights from the roosts to the feeding grounds, which also contributes to improving the safety and condition of specific individuals.

We would like to thank the PGE Foundation for its support of the project, or the bats! We will soon install signs and doors on the huts to close the entrance to the inside of the huts. The bats had no intention of waiting for the final touches and finishes, as we have already found the first individuals that flew into the huts. Such rapid colonisation only confirms how necessary and effective the active bat protection methods developed in our LIFE project are.

Preparing ground for the hutPreparing ground for the hut The concrete shell of the Hut over Mogiłki (Limanowa FD)The concrete shell of the Hut over Mogiłki (Limanowa FD)Hut over Mogiłki (Limanowa FD) with wooden coating and metal roof installedHut over Mogiłki (Limanowa FD) with wooden coating and metal roof installedHut over the Pond (Limanowa FD) concrete structureHut over the Pond (Limanowa FD) concrete structure Hut over the Pond (Limanowa FD) with wooden coat and metal roofHut over the Pond (Limanowa FD) with wooden coat and metal roofJP2 hut (Limanowa Forestry Division) was set up in the forest on a former fuel depotJP2 hut (Limanowa Forestry Division) was set up in the forest on a former fuel depotBarbastelle bat under the wooden coating of the hutBarbastelle bat under the wooden coating of the hutGuano - the best proof of the hut being used by batsGuano – the best proof of the hut being used by batsThe huts are a good bat shelter not only for the lesser horseshoesThe huts are a good bat shelter not only for the lesser horseshoes

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