The ambition to protect bats through a CaNDLE call for projects

Faced with declining bat populations, the team has chosen to focus its efforts on these little-known but indispensable mammals. "We responded to the 2023 CaNDLE call for projects by focusing on bats to encourage increased biodiversity at UNamur," explains Laura De Wandeleer. The project involves the installation of bat nesting boxes on several University buildings, similar to previous actions carried out for martinets in 2021. Around thirty gîtes will be set up.

The aim is not only to provide a safe habitat for bats in cities, where renovations and insulation work have reduced their natural refuges, but also to closely monitor the installed populations to assess the effectiveness of the measures. "What's also interesting about bats is that they provide important ecosystem services, such as regulating insect populations," adds Laura.

In addition to the direct protection of bats, the project places a strong emphasis on raising public awareness. Educational panels will be installed on campus to inform the university community and visitors about the importance of bats and the services they provide to the ecosystem. The idea is also to demystify the many prejudices surrounding these animals, which are often perceived as frightening. "There's nothing dangerous about bats, and they don't get caught in your hair, contrary to popular belief," Laura points out.

Group activities, such as nighttime guiding with acoustic equipment that lets you hear bat ultrasound, will also be on offer. "We want to show that there's life in the city, beyond the asphalt and isolated trees," says Jérémy Berthe. By eventually extending the project to the Haugimont site, an area in a rural setting where internships are organized, the team hopes to reach a wider audience, including high school students.

This project, which is part of a broader drive to promote urban biodiversity, is also a response to the challenges posed by modern renovations, which are often harmful to cave-dwelling species such as bats. By installing these nesting boxes, the University of Namur is proposing an alternative solution that reconciles energy insulation and the preservation of biodiversity.

The team hopes to launch the installation of the nesting boxes within a few weeks, before the end of winter, so that the bats can find refuge in them in spring. The project thus embodies a dual commitment: to protect an endangered species group and to raise community awareness of the harmonious cohabitation between nature and urbanization.