Are you interested in taking part in a Suffolk bat survey? 

The surveys involve installing static/remote detectors at a fixed location in your garden or local space for up to a week. Bats passing in the vicinity of the microphone will be recorded from sunset to sunrise for the duration of the survey. 

Recorded bat calls are analysed using the BTO acoustic pipeline, followed by manual verification of the species. Vocalisations of any other small mammal species detected (shrews, mice, voles) will also be identified. 

The results will be sent to you and SBIS. The surveys aim to gather bat data from locations that might otherwise be under-recorded to increase the distribution data for bats in the county.

For more information, contact Huma Pearce, [email protected]

Spot a hog!

£30,000 Synthesis Grants open now 

The British Ecological Society (BES) has announced its Synthesis Grants programme, offering up to £30,000 over two years for groups of 8-15 participants. This grant aims to support interdisciplinary teams in analysing existing data and generating new insights into ecological research. The programme encourages collaboration across universities, research institutes, NGOs, industry, and government departments, with a focus on fostering diverse groups that include international participation and at least 30% of members from the Global South. 

The grants are designed to support travel, subsistence, facility hire, and computing costs associated with synthesis group activities. 

Applicants can apply for the Synthesis Grants through the BES online grants system. The grant is open to BES members as the main applicant, although not all group members need to be BES members. 

The purpose of the grant is to promote synthesis as a growing scientific research method, where scientists generate new knowledge from existing data using a hypothesis and question-led approach. 

The grant operates on a biannual cycle, with two funding rounds each year. For 2025, the first-round closes on the 10th March 2025, while the second round opens on the 12th June and closes on the 8th September 2025.

https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/content/synthesis-grants/

Time to Celebrate!

This week we are celebrating the work of our fantastic search team, who have already delivered over half a million records to ecological consultants this financial year 🎉

Norfolk & Suffolk Community Online Webinar

Mon 14 Oct, 19:00 – 20:00 • Wed 16 Oct, 14:00 – 15:00

As we create the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, we aim to enhance the positive effects of nature on community wellbeing, contributing to improved mental and physical health through direct and indirect benefits. Our spatial strategy has the potential to unlock opportunities for communities to deliver key measures and embed nature recovery locally.

Therefore, the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership invite you to attend an online webinar, where we aim to update you on the current progress of the strategy, share our shortlisted priorities and demonstrate the mapping tools developed to identify where action for nature will have the most impact. This will enable you to signpost and highlight potential for your local area to deliver key measures and embed nature recovery in your community.

Please follow this link to register your interest.

Suffolk Naturalists' autumn meeting

21 September 2024
Westleton Village Hall, IP17 3AD 1.30pm – 6pm

Programme – timings are approximate!
After refreshments and a look at the exhibits there will be 2 talks and then outside for two activities one on the Common – invertebrate surveying and identification and the second at Westleton pit for Suffolk Geology. The SNS gazebo will be at the Common as a base to examine what has been found and for the swap over between 2 activities. These will be interactive sessions with guidance on techniques and identification. If you have collecting equipment please bring it along.
1.30 doors open
Refreshments, bookstall, exhibits including: Hawk Honey, Hymenoptera; Joan Hardingham, woodlice; Gavin Deans, Compost Critters under the microscope.
2.20 Talks
Simon Jackson (Ipswich Museum) – “the Maidenhall Mammoth” discovered in Ipswich in 1975.
John Bebbington (Westleton Parish Council) – Introduction to the history and management of the Common.
2.55 Introduction to activities out on the Heath and at Westleton Pit
Howard Mottram – Geology of East Suffolk with reference to Westleton Pit.
Peter Vincent and Ross Piper- How to survey for invertebrates and basic identification.
3.15 To the Heath a 5-10min walk up Bakers Lane or parking is available off the lane to the left where the SNS
gazebo will be located.
3.25 Activities
Either How to survey for invertebrates and basic identification with Peter Vincent and Ross Piper.
Or Geology of East Suffolk with reference to Westleton Pit with Howard Mottram.
4.20 Return to the gazebo to swap over activities (if you wish).
5.10 Return to hall refreshments and exhibits.
6.00 Finish

Directions: What Three Words ///snips.hatter.airbrush.
North of Yoxford, off the A12 take signs to Dunwich. Turning left in the village the hall is on the left.
Parking: The car park outside the hall is limited to 6 cars plus disabled parking. There is plenty of parking on the roads either side of the Hall. Please do not park opposite the hall car park entrance.
Contacts: For information please email [email protected], if you provide your email we can send updates.
On the day – Joan Hardingham: 07848 007807