1991 - 2006. EUROBATS celebrates its 15th anniversary

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98 EUROBATS Publication Series No 1 Countries was issued to the sponsors. SDPVN did not receive any official replies to its appeals (including an Appeal for Temporary Protection in 2004), nor was it sent documents it asked for, so in July 2003 it turned for help to the Secretariats of the Environment DG, the Bern Convention, the Bonn Convention and EUROBATS. These bodies contacted the government and asked for an explanation. Nevertheless, the official opening for tourists took place in September 2003, when bats are normally still in residence in the cave. Reacting to the concern raised by the Bern Convention and EUROBATS Secretariats, the government slowly began to act. In 2004, the bat monitoring scheme was granted financial support (Presetnik 2004b), even though this was not particularly necessary, since data had already been gathered over a long period (Koselj 2002) and filed at the responsible Ministry. It seems though, that the lighting system and the metal construction, which produces loud ultrasonic noise when walked on, will not be removed, which is worrying. But still, the government finally initiated procedures for the proper protection of the roost, and that is a very positive outcome. European Bat Nights Various myths about bats’ evil nature are widespread in Slovenia, as elsewhere. To achieve efficient bat conservation, these prejudices have to be overcome by educating the people. An important part of SDPVN’s public awareness activities is the EUROBATS European Bat Night initiative (EBN). In 1998, SDPVN organized an EBN for the first time in Slovenia. It was an instant success, so since then such events have been organized all over the country and promoted with displays of EUROBATS EBN posters. Permanent features of the program have been lectures on bats and evening walks using bat detectors. Bats are unusual creatures, so SDPVN employs some unusual methods when presenting them. Especially successful events were art workshops for children, photo exhibitions about bats set up in popular coffee bars and an original puppet play, “What does uncle Julce have in his attic?” To reach as many people as possible, bat slides were often projected out of doors, even on the central square in Ljubljana. Several organizations have cooperated in producing the event in their areas. A particularly fruitful contribution was that of a local mystical society, Vrbov log, to a presentation near Ajdovska Jama during EBN 200 . EBNs have always received good media coverage in the press and on the internet, radio and TV. It is important to keep up such bat-promoting activities throughout the year. In 2004 and 200 , SDPVN was a leading partner in the “Bats in the Natura 2000 network” project, financially supported by the government. We visited a large number of parish priests responsible for churches included in the Natura 2000 network because of their importance for bats. They usually agreed to bat protection issues being raised in their churches. In addition, the local people were acquainted with bats through lectures that showed them the treasures around them. The outlook for bat conservation in Slovenia Most bat conservation activities in Slovenia have been performed in the last eight years, practically always within the framework of
Presentation of bats at the elementary school OŠ Škofije in Slovenia. © Maja Zagmajster SDPVN. They have improved the situation greatly, but there are still major problems. Much of the construction work in bat roosts is initiated without regard for the bats and without the required permits, even when the work is financed from public funds, as was the case at Ajdovska Jama. If SDPVN members do not visit the sites in question at various stages during the operation, the threats to bats are completely overlooked Instead of having to take on the role of a voluntary bat police force, as at present, we should like in future to see more commit- ment from the government, in enforcing the protection and conservation procedures demanded by legislation and to penalizing offenders. With additional obligations deri- ving from the FFH directive and also from the EUROBATS Agreement, we believe that governmental practice will change. Recent discussions on bat protection, and ack- nowledgment of the need to address at governmental level the problem of renovation works, give us reason to be hopeful. 1991-2006 • EUROBATS celebrates its 15 th anniversary Maja Zagmajster, SDPVN - Slovenian Association for Bat Research and Conservation E-mail: maja.zagmajster@quest.arnes.si Literature Aupic N. (2004) Diet of Greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum Schreber, 1774) and seasonal dynamics of summer colony in the church of Holy Spirit in Crnomelj, Graduation Thesis, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Biotechnics, Department of Biology, Ljubljana: 2 pp Koselj K. (2002) Diet and ecology of Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale Blasius, 1953; Mammalia: Chiroptera) in southeastern Slovenia, Graduation Thesis, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Biotechnics, Department of Biology, Ljubljana: 126 pp. Krystufek, B. (1986) Ohranimo netopirje na prezimovališcih, Naše jame 28: 4 -49. Krystufek B. & Cerveny J. (1997) New and noteworthy records of bats in Slovenia, Myotis, 3 : 89-93. Krystufek B. & Hudoklin A. (1999) Netopirji na prezimovališcih v Sloveniji v letih 1994 1996, Annales Ser. Hist. Nat., 9: 31 -322. Krystufek, B., P. Presetnik & A. Salamun (2003) Expert proposal for establishing Natura 2000 sites. Bats (Chiroptera) (final report), Natural History Museum, Ljubljana, 322 pp. + digital appendices. Financier: Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia at the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy. 99
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EUROBATS Publication Series No 1 19
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When one tugs at a single thing in
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Contents Foreword 1991-2006 • EUR
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Foreword 15 years of EUROBATS, a mo
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On the eve of the 1 th anniversary
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monitoring activities and advising
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Happy Birthday EUROBATS! NABU, the
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an Agreement on the Conservation of
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Signing of the Bats Agreement: Rt.
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Just over 1 years ago, I got a new
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was finalised by using part of the
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the conservation of Schreiber´s ba
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were adopted with some amendments w
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and non-governmental organisations
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1991-2006 • EUROBATS celebrates i
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at conservation programs. The Agree
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fauna is represetned. At present 28
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1991-2006 • EUROBATS celebrates i
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Monitoring Bats are extensively stu
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the EUROBATS Agreement, in conjunct
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different villages in the Bulgarian
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Myotis capaccinii © Boyan Petrov N
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some 110 associates, including many
Page 49 and 50: 1991-2006 • EUROBATS celebrates i
Page 53 and 54: an unacceptable rate of injuries ca
Page 57 and 58: International exchange If we look a
Page 59 and 60: The Bat House The Bat House was fou
Page 63 and 64: Participants at a bat detector trai
Page 67 and 68: Future challenges Looking to EUROBA
Page 69 and 70: to develop effective conservation s
Page 75 and 76: the 28 th September 2004, when the
Page 79 and 80: Recent conservation activities In r
Page 83 and 84: • establishing a national databas
Page 87 and 88: lionidae family, so the number of p
Page 89 and 90: an ongoing data-processing and -upd
Page 93 and 94: (in 1997 turned to new name “Vesp
Page 95 and 96: Lehotska, B. & Lehotsky, R. (200 )
Page 97 and 98: ing protection to bats was the decr
Page 99: ist use of cave roosts and on renov
Page 105 and 106: Investigations Project conti- nues
Page 107 and 108: at conservation high up in governme
Page 109 and 110: FFPS Flora and Fauna Preservation S
Page 111 and 112: Holy See 1991-2006 • EUROBATS cel
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