Online training courses

These online training courses have been carefully crafted to enhance the knowledge and capability of bat ecologists. We know that there are bat ecologists working across New Zealand who can find it tough to get access to the training required to become a certified competent bat worker. This is why we have developed these online courses, where bat ecologists can learn wherever they are and at their own pace.

Give the gift of learning

Bat ecologists are tricky beasts to buy for …

A great corporate gift or for someone thinking about a career in bat ecology.

Gift card price: $50 (plus GST)

“This course really fast-tracked my certification journey by preparing me with a depth and breadth of information not available anywhere else.”
— M. Roper

Bat Worker Certification

New Zealand Bat Recovery Group Competency: All (1.1-3.3)

This course focusses on the ethical standards required to be registered as a competent, authorised bat worker (i.e., be certified) by the NZ Bat Recovery Group (NZBRG). The course content allows you to fulfill certification requirements virtually (10/25 competencies) and prepares you to fullfill certification requirements in the field (15/25 competencies).

By the end of the course you will know how to catch bats, work with bats in hand and assess tree roosts (visually and acoustically) to the standards required for certification.

This course covers:

  • The NZBRG certification standards and process

  • Ethical considerations for catching and handling bats

  • Health & safety considerations for bats and bat ecologists

  • Overview of the Best Practice Manual: DOCDM-131465 (2012)

  • Catching bats (8 competencies)

  • Handling bats (14 competencies)

  • High risk activities - roost felling (3 competencies)

  • How to gain field experience with bats

This 8 module course comprises 4 hours of video content and has been developed for bat ecologists of all experience levels working towards certification by the NZBRG.

A professional certificate of completion will be provided.

Course Price: $1,000 (plus GST)

“This course gave me a deeper understanding of what it means to undertake an acoustic survey in a way that the results are meaninfully useable.”
— M. Roper

Acoustic Bat Surveys

New Zealand Bat Recovery Group Competency: High risk activities - tree felling (3.3)

This in depth course is focused on how to plan, implement and present acoustic bat surveys so that bat ecologists can better understand species distribution and activity patterns within an area of interest.

By the end of the course you will know how to undertake an acoustic bat survey of sufficient quality to form part of an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA).

This course covers:

  • Bat ecology

  • Bat echolocation and it’s acoustic properties

  • Survey planning (including implementing NZBRGs Bat Roost Protocols)

  • Equipment and software

  • Placement of passive bat detectors/recorders

  • Identification of bat calls (species present in New Zealand)

  • Assessing impacts of environmental conditions on survey validity

  • Intrepretation of data

  • Presentation of data

  • How to contribute your data to the National Bat Database

  • Data management

This 11 module course comprises 5 hours of video content and has been developed for bat ecologists of all experience levels.

A professional certificate of completion will be provided.

Course Price: $500 (plus GST)

Want something more?

Please let us know!

Help us to help others

If you like what we’re trying to do here at The Bat Co. Lab this is a great way to support us!