Fantastic to see that Kerry's #lesserhorseshoe bats will have more places to roost in VWT's bat reserves.

This summer, not only has #MartensOnTheMove been busy launching the new Pine Marten Havens, but the team has also been attending events across its Strategic Recovery Areas. This includes the Peebles Nature Festival, Hay Festival, Galloway Country Fair and Monmouth Pride. #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

Polecats are often seen as road casualties at this time of year. If you see a polecat please report it to our National Polecat Survey by following this link to our online form: arcg.is/1TXqHC

Huge congrats to our joint Vice Chair of Trustees, Prof Sallie Bailey, for her @britishecologicalsociety.org Fellowship. Chief Scientist at @naturalengland.bsky.social, Sallie works to ensure that science and evidence are at the heart of action for nature recovery. Well done Sallie! bit.ly/42yctku

We had a great time at the Bat Conference with a packed programme of talks+workshops, including two VWT workshops. It was also good to see the new Lesser Horseshoe Bat Conservation Handbook available from @nhbs.bsky.social. Huge thanks to @batconservation.bsky.social for another great conference.

Yesterday, VWT’s #MartensOnTheMove celebrated its final Pine Marten Haven launch, this time in Wentwood Forest, Monmouthshire, Wales with #CoedCadw and #NaturalResourcesWales! The new Wildlife Hide was officially opened followed by guided walks for visitors to the site #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

It’s #NationalPineMartenDay! VWT’s #MartensOnTheMove Haven sites celebrate all things pine marten with new hides, engaging info boards + life-sized pine marten silhouettes hiding in the forest waiting to be spotted! Find out more + plan your trip here www.pinemartens.uk #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

What a fantastic turnout for this year's #HeritageWeek2025 marathon batathon!

We can’t wait to launch #MartensOnTheMove’s final Pine Marten Haven on Sat 6 Sept at Wentwood, near Newport, south Wales, with #CoedCadw + #NaturalResourcesWales — join us for an afternoon guided walk. Find out more about the new sites and book a walk here bit.ly/47SzOAW #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

We’re so excited to celebrate #29thInternationalBatNight with the launch of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat Conservation Handbook (2nd edition) — sharing knowledge and info for effective evidence-based conservation to help this rare species survive and thrive. Available soon from @nhbs.bsky.social

We can’t wait to launch #MartensOnTheMove’s final Pine Marten Haven on Sat 6 Sept at Wentwood, near Newport, south Wales, with #CoedCadw + #NaturalResourcesWales — join us for an afternoon guided walk. Find out more about the new sites and book a walk here bit.ly/47SzOAW #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

Great News — Big Give's pledge deadline has been extended! You now have until Sun 7 Sept to make a pledge to make a difference for threatened bat species through this year’s #BigGiveChristmasChallenge. To qualify, pledges must be at least £100 and made by 23:00 on 7 Sept 2025 bit.ly/4lsoheO

On Sat 6 Sept, VWT’s #MartensOnTheMove is launching the Welsh Pine Marten Haven with #CoedCadw #WoodlandTrust and #NaturalResourcesWales at Wentwood Forest. Join us for a free guided walk and visit to the new wildlife hide. Find out more and book bit.ly/4eGflkh #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

Stop two on our lesser horseshoe #bat tour: the stunning oak woodlands of Garryland. Huge thanks to participants, NPWS staff, horseshoe bats & pips for joining us! #HeritageWeek2025

A big thank you to all who joined the first of 6 sold-out lesser horseshoe bat walks this #HeritageWeek2025. The horseshoe bats and lots of soprano pipistrelles put on a great display for us just after sunset. Thanks to Brian Hughes, NPWS Conservation Ranger, for his knowledge and support.

Don’t miss your chance to support VWT’s bat work through this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. We’re delighted to have the chance to at least double your pledge to make a difference for threatened bat species. To qualify, pledges must be at least £100 made by 17:00 on 29 Aug 2025 bit.ly/4lsoheO

Just a few more days to the deadline on Fri 22 August and your chance to apply to be VWT’s Operations Manager! Can you help VWT make a difference for threatened mammals? Are you an experienced Operations Manager? For more information and to apply, visit vwt.org.uk/vacancies

VWT is heading to the Pembrokeshire County Show, to promote its Natur Am Byth Barbastelle Project in Pembrokeshire. If would like to know more about this rare bat, the barbastelle project and how you can get involved, find us in Zone D, 20-21 August, at the Haverfordwest County Showground.

Following the huge response to our last Big Give challenge in April, we’re delighted to have the chance to at least double your pledge to VWT’s bat work through this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. To qualify, pledges must be at least £100 made by 17:00 on 29 Aug 2025 here bit.ly/4lsoheO

Our walks in counties Mayo, Clare, Limerick and Cork still have a few spaces! Register here: tinyurl.com/bdeymdy9 @mayodarkskies.bsky.social

We’re Hiring! Can you help VWT make a difference for threatened mammals? Are you an experienced Operations Manager? Deadline for applications — 5pm on Friday 22 August. For more information and to apply, visit vwt.org.uk/vacancies

What a great treat... if you're in the area, don't miss finding out about this rare bat species, which is only found in six counties in Ireland.

Recently, VWT's Bat Team joined @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social‬ at Bracketts Coppice Nature Reserve for the long-term Bechstein’s bat ringing project. Regular checks help us study their ecology, demographics and social structure. This month we recorded 87 bats – incl 39 juveniles and one 15-year-old.

In April, #MartensOnTheMove + vols carried out 42 pine marten den box checks in Mid Wales. Trail cameras were placed on the boxes and we now have the footage and are delighted to have found videos of pine martens in four different den boxes! Read more here bit.ly/46E91ba #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

We’re Hiring! Are you an experienced Operations Manager? Would you like to help VWT make a difference for threatened mammals? For further information and to apply, visit vwt.org.uk/vacancies

New 50 Years Anniversary Blog — Celebrating 50 years of working with volunteers — where we explore how VWT has evolved to engage volunteers, communities and citizen scientists in its mission to conserve threatened mammals. Working together for greater impact. Find out more bit.ly/41amfIQ

We're still collecting polecat sightings until the end of 2025 for our National Polecat Survey: -Online form arcg.is/1TXqHC -Mammal Mapper App -Email us at [email protected] Findings to be published early 2026. If you've found a dead polecat, we're interested in hair and whisker samples too!

VWT’s #MartensOnTheMove launched its 2nd Pine Marten Haven, this time at National Trust Wallington! Visitors enjoyed the new wildlife hide and guided walks to learn about pine martens and restoring nature. Thanks to @nationaltrust.org.uk for its support . #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

VWT’s #MartensOnTheMove launched its first Pine Marten Haven site at Kirroughtree, Dumfries and Galloway. We were joined by project partners #ForestryAndLandScotland, wildlife organisations and vols to celebrate the opening of the new Wildlife Hide. #NationalLotteryHeritageFund (1/2)

VWT is launching the #MartensOnTheMove Pine Marten English Haven site at Wallington with @nationaltrust.org.uk ‬ From Sat 19 July, you can visit the new hide and find out about pine martens. Keep an eye out for the six pine marten silhouettes hidden in the trees! #NationalLotteryHeritageFund‬‬‬‬‬‬

Don't miss this important workshop and find out how farms in Ireland can help the lesser horseshoe bat to thrive.

On Sat 5 July #MartensOnTheMove is launching the Scottish Pine Marten Haven with #ForestryAndLandScotland at Galloway Forest. Join us for a free guided walk and a visit to the new wildlife hide. Find out more and book your spot here bit.ly/44ji93r #NationalLotteryHeritageFund 📸David Baird

Thank you to @CadnoMedia and @iolowilliams.bsky.social for a great night filming lesser horseshoe bats emerging from one of VWT’s bat reserves in the Usk Valley with VWT’s Senior Bat Conservation Officer, Carys Peotto. Watch this space for details of the programme next year.

On Sat 5 July #MartensOnTheMove is launching the Scottish Pine Marten Haven with #ForestryAndLandScotland at Galloway Forest. Join us for a free guided walk and a visit to the new wildlife hide. Find out more and book your spot here bit.ly/44ji93r #NationalLotteryHeritageFund 📸David Baird

As an Evidence Champion for #ConservationEvidence, VWT recently scored a fantastic 9.5/10, showing we are meeting most of the criteria in the Conservation Evidence Checklist. We also provide good practice examples for others to follow our evidence-based approach to conserving threatened species.

The first of this summer's series of volunteer bat detector workshops for @naturambyth.bsky.social Barbastelle Project in Pembs was a great success. Volunteers learnt how to install and collect bat detectors — the next workshop will be on Sat 21 June at #CanastonWoods. For more info bit.ly/4mbcNOl.

VWT’s @NaB Barbastelle Conservation Project is running a free workshop for #treesurgeons, #arborists and #landmanagers to show how to create and protect tree roosts for rare woodland bats such as the barbastelle. Date: 18 June at Colby Woodland Garden, Pembs. Email [email protected] to book.

Thank you to everyone who volunteers their time to VWT. In 2024, 2,700+ vol hours were gifted. Whether you are a volunteer or a citizen scientist — you help VWT achieve so much more. Together, we make a difference to mammal conservation in Britain and Ireland. #VolunteersWeek

This #VolunteersWeek, we celebrate all the #citizenscience #volunteers who together have submitted more than 1,200 sightings of polecats since Jan 2024! The National Polecat Survey ends in Dec 2025 so there’s still time to send in your sightings and any pics or videos ➡️ arcg.is/1TXqHC

In April, #MartensOnTheMove visited Mid Wales for breeding season den box checks. They were joined by local volunteers, @nationaltrust.org.uk and #NaturalResourcesWales staff to check 42 pine marten den boxes using thermal imaging cameras. Read more here bit.ly/4dOvEuI #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

Join VWT's @naturambyth.bsky.social Barbastelle Project this Sunday 08 June, at #PengelliNationalNatureReserve, to learn how to survey the rare #barbastellebat using detectors. Help us find out more about this elusive woodland bat. #VolunteersWeek #NaturAmByth bit.ly/4mbcNOl for info and to apply.

A huge THANK YOU to The Ecology Co-op walking and running teams for their fantastic achievement in walking and running 25K during the #BrightonChallenge25kmLoop — and for raising funds for VWT’s work to save threatened mammals. It will make a difference.

#Volunteer opportunity to monitor bats at VWT bat reserves in SW England and Wales. Two evenings a week in June or July, join a team of volunteers to count bats emerging from their roosts. Training is provided. Find out where and how to apply bit.ly/4mbcNOl

NEW BLOG for #biodiversityweek2025 + #NVWIreland! bit.ly/3Ff5Z1I Find out how VWT has been finding ways to monitor the elusive #Irishstoat. And join us tonight at 7PM to discover what we’ve learned about Irish Stoats from your sightings during #CitizenScienceSurvey. Register tinyurl.com/4vpw2wdp

We’re so excited to be at #HayFestival2025. VWT’s Jenny MacPherson and Lucy Rogers are discussing Jenny’s latest book #StoatsWeaselsMartens+Polecats with @nicolacutcher.bsky.social Join us to find out how VWT is working to protect threatened mammals in Britain+Ireland. @hayfestival Pic: ©D. Baird

Do you live in #Pembrokeshire? Would you like to learn how to survey the rare #barbastellebat using detectors and help VWT find out more about this elusive woodland bat as part of its @Natur am Byth! Barbastelle project? bit.ly/4mbcNOl for more info and to apply.

Don't miss this FREE webinar and find out how #CitizenScientists are helping @vwtireland.bsky.social learn more about the elusive #IrishStoat found only in #Ireland and the #IsleofMan. Register to book your place: tinyurl.com/4vpw2wdp

Our scientists are helping to monitor the success of the reintroduction of Britain’s second rarest mammal. 🖱️ www.aber.ac.uk/en/news/arch... @vincentwt.bsky.social @aberdlsagb.bsky.social @niallmckeown.bsky.social #pinemarten #pinemartens #martensonthemove

Huge congratulations to VWT’s Principal Scientist, Dr Jenny MacPherson, for being awarded the Mammal Society Medal in recognition of her work in significantly advancing mammal conservation — particularly for pine martens in Britain. Well done and well deserved, Jenny! 📸@mammalsociety.bsky.social

Don't miss this #FREE webinar with fascinating insights into the secretive #Irishstoat. Thanks to all the #CitizenScientists who submitted sightings, photos and videos.