Church avoids fresh storm over rare snoozing bats
-14/10/05
A tornado-hit local church in rural England is demonstrating its environmental credentials by making special provision for rare sleeping bats as part of its rebuilding programme.
Ecologists were concerned when it was discovered that the roof of All Saints Church in Moulton, Lincolnshire, was housing four protected species of bat: the pipistrelle, the soprano pipistrelle, the brown long-eared and the whiskered.
According to English nature there was a danger that the animals would be traumatized by the noise and dirt generated by a seven-month restoration project for the 13th century church building.
The grade one listed (legally safeguarded) building suffered structural damage during a recent tornado that swept across the area.
But now those involved in the £400,000 project (English Nature, English Heritage, the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln and Ecclesiastical Insurance) are working together to ensure that the bats can carry on snoozing.
The main idea is to do the work while the bats hibernate. Project architect Helen Weatherall explained that the scaffolding has been designed so that there are usable entry and exit points for the bats.
Bats in churches have been a big topic in Countryman magazine over the summer. Reader Barry Morrish recently commented: ì[They] make a little mess, but their droppings are relatively dryÖ [A]ltars and similar important parts of the church can be covered with plastic sheeting.î
Nor is Moultonís storm experience unique. Unlikely as it may seem, the UK is one of the worldís tornado and hot spots, receiving more tornadoes per square mile than the USA.
Although most are small events, rarely making the headlines, Birmingham suffered two mini-tornados recently.
Meanwhile, as calm returns and the bats slumber, community and faith groups in both Lincolnshire and Birmingham are reported to be raising money to support victims of the devastating earthquake in South Asia.
[With thanks to Clare Bergin and Independent Catholic News]
A tornado-hit local church in rural England is demonstrating its environmental credentials by making special provision for rare sleeping bats as part of its rebuilding programme.
Ecologists were concerned when it was discovered that the roof of All Saints Church in Moulton, Lincolnshire, was housing four protected species of bat: the pipistrelle, the soprano pipistrelle, the brown long-eared and the whiskered.
According to English nature there was a danger that the animals would be traumatized by the noise and dirt generated by a seven-month restoration project for the 13th century church building.
The grade one listed (legally safeguarded) building suffered structural damage during a recent tornado that swept across the area.
But now those involved in the £400,000 project (English Nature, English Heritage, the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln and Ecclesiastical Insurance) are working together to ensure that the bats can carry on snoozing.
The main idea is to do the work while the bats hibernate. Project architect Helen Weatherall explained that the scaffolding has been designed so that there are usable entry and exit points for the bats.
Bats in churches have been a big topic in Countryman magazine over the summer. Reader Barry Morrish recently commented: ‘[They] make a little mess, but their droppings are relatively dryÖ [A]ltars and similar important parts of the church can be covered with plastic sheeting.’
Nor is Moulton’s storm experience unique. Unlikely as it may seem, the UK is one of the world’s tornado and hot spots, receiving more tornadoes per square mile than the USA.
Although most are small events, rarely making the headlines, Birmingham suffered two mini-tornados recently.
Meanwhile, as calm returns and the bats slumber, community and faith groups in both Lincolnshire and Birmingham are reported to be raising money to support victims of the devastating earthquake in South Asia.
[With thanks to Clare Bergin and Independent Catholic News]