In the first days of 2014 the work in Ojców was concluded. The attics of the National Park headquarters and the “Urocza” villa were adapted to better meet the needs of lesser horseshoe bats which form small breeding colonies there. Both attics are now darker which should give the animals much larger space to roost.

The floors were covered with vapour-open membranes to make it easier to remove bat droppings. The openings used by bats to access roosts were remodelled to keep light out while still allowing the animals to enter easily. For the first time besides these standard measures wooden bat boxes were installed in the attics to keep the bats more safe and provide them with more stable microclimatic conditions.

Courtesy of the Ojców National Park we were also able to adapt a cellar in the villa “Urocza”, making openings between the cellar chambers, a direct access hole for bats from the outside and a connection between the cellar and the attic. This created an alternative roost, allowing the bats to move to a cooler place during hot spells in summer. The cellar may also be used during spring and autumn as a transitional roost. A cellar under the National Park headquarters’ parking lot was also adapted.

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