We couldn’t have asked for a better evening to see the famous bats of Leather Lane.
We hosted our second bat walk on Leather Lane on Saturday 9 July.
Again we were blessed with perfect conditions for the bats and participants, some of whom were learning about our Campaign for the first time. They saw for themselves the rich ecology protected by the Oaks on Leather Lane, including the bats, with lots of activity identified using the Campiagn’s bat detectors. The bats and other wildlife (notably a beautiful barn owl, perhaps the same one seen on our previous walk) delighted in the warm weather with little wind.
Participants identified Barn owls, two tawny owls as well as a solitary Long Eared bat flying low under the tree canopy at the top of the lane, clicking and calling as he buzzed over our heads, Serotine, Leisler and Noctule, Nathusius Pipstrelle, Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, and importantly the endangered Barbastelle using heterodyne bat detectors. Participants were again invited to submit their survey data online to the National Bat Survey, helping to create a national picture of our bat population.
We were heartened by the support for our Campaign from locals who hadn’t previously heard of us. They were amazed to see so many bats so clearly - getting great video of the bats flying overhead. We were invited to do a Bat walk for a group of girl guides, which sounds like great fun!
The Campaign continues to collect its own data which is analysed by professional ecologists. We will soon be able to provide a clear view of the impact of the felling of Oaks on the bats of Leather a lane a year down the line (no pun intended).
The plight of wildlife in the path of HS2 continues - yet Leather Lane still stands and we hope will continue to do so for years to come, providing vital connectivity and respite for bats and other wildlife in a landscape of destruction in the Chilterns, once an AONB.
Here’s how YOU can meet and help the Leather Lane bats…
Our next walk is scheduled for Saturday 6 August. Our July walk was a sell out this time so book early to grab your ticket.
We are a group of local residents who volunteer their time for this cause but we need support from some amazing but costly professionals. We wouldn’t have got this far without them - with their help we have presented a credible alternative and held HS2 to account.
Please do send us financial support if you are able, recognising the difficult times we find ourselves in. We really appreciate every single donation we receive. Find the link to our crowdfunding here:
https://www.gofundme.com/manage/help-towards-legal-case-against
How you can help:
Please continue to share our local petition with your friends and family: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1fYj-1_77s_hDjlAH8auN5w_sXh8j8HqyYg6ma8lAQ1Lshw/viewform
For friends, family and colleagues that are not local to Leather Lane, you can email them our Change.Org petition to sign. We have almost 43,000 signatures and it would be amazing to get this figure to 50,000.
You can also help by following us on our social media channels below, sharing our Facebook posts, retweeting our Tweets and reposting our stories on Instagram.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SaveLeatherLaneOaks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OaksSave
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilonatheoak
With thanks and hope
The Campaign to Save Leather Lane Oaks ©
Please watch our video from the most recent bat walk here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WBWI2c5cdf0 (Credit C Wilson)