Field training for students of the Prycarpattia Forestry College (Bolekhiv town).

Experience throughout the Eastern Europe has shown that reversing the public’s rather negative attitude to bats can take many years and that a continuous supply of information and publicity is required. At present, there is virtually poor information about bats available in the Eastern Carpathians, little expertise in bat colony management and problem-solving and few sources of advice.

There is a need for a substantial expansion and coordination of bat protection and management planning of bat sites in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mts. The project aims to increase the capacity and practical knowledge of bat conservation and habitat management among stuff of nature protected areas through trainings. Bat monitoring is an integral part of conservation will provide nature protected areas stuff with a powerful tool to inform a long-term biodiversity strategy for this area.

During the project realisation will be further developed the database concerning the bat distribution and roosts localisation in the Ukrainian Carpathians.

One of the main results would be reducing of negative influence and conflicts between bats and people, increasing of level of bat protection in the Ukrainian Carpathians area. It will be done by ecological education of protected area administrations and stuff, NGOs, and some stakeholders in the project focal areas and initiating a number of sustainable local development activities, concerning the bat protection that can demonstrate and deliver enhancing the rich biological diversity of the region.

Knowledge and expertise among Ukrainian conservationists in bat biodiversity management and monitoring (e.g. management planning, data acquisition/collation, reporting) would be increased. Establishing network of nature protection areas continues evaluating and implementing of integrated monitoring programmes.

The major activities planned within the project: a. Collection and analysis of new data about the occurrence of bats and their shelters in the Ukrainian Carpathians area; b. Preparation of publicity and advisory materials; c. Trainings of staff of the Nature protection areas; d. Monitoring net development; e. Preparation of materials for the local media and realising it.