Bat Roosts in Trees book – now available at the Jersey Library

The Jersey Bat Group have donated a copy of the Bat Roosts in Trees to the Jersey Library

The Jersey bat group have donated a copy of the book: Bat Roosts in Trees: A guide to identification and assessment for tree-care and ecological professionals to the Jersey Library.

The Jersey Bat Group are concerned at the level of tree felling that is currently happening in Jersey, often without appropriate surveys.

Bat roosts have been found in most species of tree, can be found at any height on a tree (including ground level), and can be found in any size of tree (including ones with a diameter below 6 cm).  

It is of vital importance that trees are professionally surveyed for bats prior to carrying out any significant work to the tree, and this book should be read in conjunction with the bat surveys for professional ecologists guidelines 

Some important factors to consider:

• Bats and their roosts are protected in Jersey
• Bats are known to roosts in trees in Jersey
• It would be expected for a tree with features where bats could live to be surveyed prior to carrying out any significant work on that tree
• Not surveying a tree and destroying a roost or killing a bat (where a roost is known or is likely to exist and the act of destroying a den or killing a bat could have been reasonably avoided) is an offence.

If you are concerned that a tree is at risk at being felled, or is at risk from development where trees are often cleared from a site prior to planning permission being sought then please contact the Growth Housing and Environment Department. 

If you believe a tree that must remain as part of a condition of a planning decision or a tree that has a protection order on it is being worked on without the prior consent of the planning department then please contact the Compliance Officer at Planning and Building Services

If you feel that a tree (or group of trees) should be listed due to the amenity value they provide and where they make a valuable and important contribution to the local environment and you feel they are under threat or could be in the near future then please contact the Growth Housing and Environment Department request that the Chief Officer considers including them in the list of Protected trees.