About This Event

Join us for a sunset bat walk led by our regular Wildlife Wander attendee, Mark, who’ll guide us through the fascinating world of bats! Victoria Park is home to a variety of bat species, thanks to its rich foraging habitats. With the help of bat detectors, we’ll be able to listen to their echolocation calls and, with a bit of luck, watch them dart and swoop above our heads in search of insects. Did you know that Northern Ireland is home to eight species of bats? These incredible nocturnal mammals play a vital role in our ecosystems, and this walk is a rare opportunity to experience their world up close. Exploring the park at dusk opens up a whole new perspective – one that many of us don’t often get to see. We appreciate that the timing might be a little late for some, but the bats only come out just after sunset! You don’t need any prior nature knowledge to come along - just bring your curiosity, and enjoy the outdoors with us! Meeting point: The group will be meeting in the Victoria Park car park (Google maps link here (https://maps.app.goo.gl/WMRhLjvRzwiDCALT7)) at 7pm, and finishing back at the car park at around 9pm. Here is a screenshot (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LYjCKJFx_oKvrcQykQN8y3Ko9efpiwUs/view?usp=sharing) of the car park location. Walking distance: We'll walk slowly for about 1 mile in total around the park, stopping often to enjoy the bats. Toilets: There are pay toilets at the park. What to bring: We recommend wearing sturdy footwear like trainers as the group may veer off the main tarmacked path onto thinner, grassier paths if the group is able. And wrap up with warm and waterproof clothing - as we'll be walking slowly and stopping often, and with the unpredictable Northern Irish weather, it might get colder than expected! There will be bat detectors for folks to borrow. Accessibility: This event is suitable for wheelchair users. The paths are tarmacked and wide. Please find details of the venue on AccessAble here (https://www.accessable.co.uk/belfast-city-council/access-guides/victoria-park). If you have any questions about accessibility, or any other queries, please email Sorrel at wanders@bto.org. Volunteer-led events: As this is a volunteer-led events, there are a couple of things to draw your attention to: we have a no dogs policy (except for assistance dogs) just so everyone is comfortable and under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. There is more information about these points and others in this document (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u5rrtlO6SRUnpK01jGO6f9dqNWqUxjTB/view?usp=sharing). These events are coordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Northern Ireland in partnership with Connswater Community Greenway. BTO NI is a charity that seeks to understand and protect our wild bird populations and connect people with nature. Find out more about what we do at www.bto.org/about/where/northern-ireland (https://www.bto.org/about/where/northern-ireland).

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