**Bat walks this week**

Tuesday 16th - Woodbastwick Fen 
To book email info[at]hovetongreatbroad.org.uk

Friday 19th - Sculthorpe Moor
Book via hawkandowltrust.org

It is National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) #SunsetSurvey season! The perfect opportunity to get together with family/friends and discover bats and other wildlife in your local area. Watch this fun video to learn more about this survey: buff.ly/3TW9UDZ .

ALBINO/LEUCISTIC BAT!!!!!

So how did we get flying mammals that use echolocation to navigate?🦇
Check out the bat family tree and their closest relatives in our latest blog!
batcon.org/surprising-bat…

Please take a moment to read our statement, following the recent letter to Steve Barclay from our MPs.

We are looking for a veggie/vegan food truck for our wildlife event!
If you know anyone please let us know and retweet 🛻 🥘 🍲

Back in March, Norfolk & Norwich Bat Group held a mini-conference ‘Working for Norfolk’s Bats’ to highlight some of the bat conservation issues of particular importance in the county and to showcase the work of the group. They wrote a lovely blog about it: batconservationtrust.blogspot.com/2024/04/workin…

Another Spring bat walk - Friday 19th April 7:30pm, join us at Sculthorpe Hawk and Owl Trust £16 (or £10 for Hawk & Owl trust members). Explore the Sculthorpe Moor reserve by night with one of our experts. Please book via the visitor centre or online: hawkandowltrust.org

Spring bat walk! As darkness falls explore Woodbastwick fen, which sits within the Bure Marshes NNR.

Come & join us Tues 16th April 7.45pm. Adults £10, children £5, inc a hot drink & biscuits.

Booking essential. Email: info [at]hovetongreatbroad.org.uk

Help get April off to the best possible start for us by signing up to support us for FREE on easyfundraising. You can raise donations whenever you shop online with over 8,000 brands! Plus, once you've raised your first £5, easyfundraising will double it: join.easyfundraising.org.uk/nnbg/RBKZLT/c2…

Unveiling Hypocrisy and the Need for Scientific Integrity in Environmental Policy Debates

In examining the recent backlash against provisional advice issued by Natural England, it is imperative to scrutinise the vehement objections raised by local Conservative MPs.…

Absolutely, Natural England is a statutory body, doing its job, applying the law as decreed by parliament. (It is emphatically not, as recently described, ‘an unelected quango’.) Its decisions are evidence-based and must not be bent to the altar of political ambition.

🚨Norfolk MPs write to Steve Barclay to change bat advice &override Natural England ecologists

This is an attack on:
❌science
❌species protection
❌independence of civil servants
❌those civil servants

Repost if you agree that MPs should not be doing this👇
MP Watch

It is April! Bats have mainly come out of hibernation and are hungry and active, feeding on most nights. They may move between several roost sites and can become torpid (cool and inactive) again if we get a cold spell.

Spring is coming! If you're wondering where to do some bat watching do check this page for some helpful tips: buff.ly/3HrOze8 . You could have bats right on your doorstep, you just need to know where/when to look

Please help us get lots of National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) data from Norfolk this year. The sunset survey is one that everyone can join in with! Don't forget to send in your results. bats.org.uk/our-work/natio…

Great news for bats and other wildlife along the proposed NWL route. It is very clear that a favourable conservation status for barbastelle bats cannot be maintained if the construction of this road goes ahead.
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…

Thanks so much to everyone who joined us for this evening's talk! That's the last of our Winter talks, but look out for summer events & bat walks as we come out of hibernation and hope for some better weather.

**Talk this evening**
The link for tonight's talk has now been emailed out to all of members and friends. If you are not already on our mailing list and would like the zoom link then please DM us.