Slough Borough Council is asking residents to go batty this weekend and join volunteers making bat boxes.
Slough Volunteers will be meeting at Wexham Nursery on Saturday 14 August from 10am to 3pm to create as many bat boxes as possible – and everyone is invited.
When completed, the boxes will be placed in Herschel Park as part of the £2.7 million restoration project, run by the council and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The project is restoring the Slough park back to its former Victorian glory as well as creating a nature reserve and wildflower area.
Tony Down, Herschel Park management officer, said: “Bats are an important part of nature and because so much of their habitat has been destroyed in the past they are now protected by law.
“Unfortunately the places where they like to roost are very vulnerable to disturbance as old rotting and hollow trees are often cut down and the eaves of houses are often treated with preservatives which can be harmful.
“By creating these special boxes, we hope to encourage bats to come and make their homes in Herschel Park and provide a safe environment for them to roost.”
The bats the Herschel Park Slough team want to attract include the long-eared bat and pipistrelle bats. Pipistrelle bats are just 5cm long and both types of bat eat flying insects.
A selection of tools will be provided on Saturday but please bring along a hammer and a panel saw if you have them.
For more information on the Herschel Park project and how to volunteer for the bat box building or any of the numerous mid-week work parties contact Tony Down on 01753 875209 or e-mail tony.down@slough.gov.uk
Slough Borough Council
