Norfolk’s Nature Discovery of the Year
8th December 2020 7:00pm
Event Details
Start Date: 8th December 2020 7:00pm
Venue:
Event Description
What happens when a road development scheme comes head to head with a new biodiversity discovery of IUCN protected species? A UK example
Join with us for a webinar on Norfolk’s Nature Discovery of the Year. This summer, researchers attached to University of East Anglia (UEA), Norfolk discovered an extraordinary barbastelle bat ‘super-colony’ closely associated with the Wensum Valley, an area already of high conservation value. The researchers www.wildwingsecology.co.uk believe this super colony may well contain the largest, individual barbastelle tree roost in the UK, with the colony as a whole utilising many roost trees. The woods are without doubt a UK nationally important area, and probably the most important area, in the UK for this very rare species.
We are honoured that Prof Tim O’Riordan from CPRE, Norfolk and UEA has agreed to speak to this webinar along with Dr Lotty Packman of WildWingsEcology and Mike Jones of Norfolk Wildlife Trust. The speakers have agreed to leave plenty of time for a Q&A session. We will discuss how a proposed dual-carriageway the Wensum link road which would run through these woods and across the Wensum, which is a European designated conservation site, should be thoroughly reassessed with a view to its cancellation.