EXPERTS are to be able to keep an eye on two of the country's rarest species of bats found at a Devizes nature reserve thanks to a community award.

Bechstein and Barbastelle bats were found at Drews Pond Wood by Wiltshire Bat Group earlier this year.

Gareth Harris from the group then applied for a grant from Wessex Water to allow bat boxes to be bought for the woodland.

He was presented with £303.80 last week by water firm's field ecology officer James Mitchell.

Monitoring of bat populations in Drews Pond Wood is supported by Wiltshire Council and Stuart Hislop, volunteer coordinator of the Drews Pond Wood Project, which aims to enhance the wood for people and wildlife through habitat management and education.

Mr Harris said: "The discovery of Bechstein’s and Barbastelle bats, along with nine other species of bat at Drews Pond Wood, is of immense conservation importance.

"These are two of our rarest bats in the UK and Europe. Research will continue enabling us to more fully understand how these and other species use Drews Pond Wood and neighbouring woodlands.”

“Radiotracking in May 2015 highlighted how the Barbastelle bat was foraging along the edge of Devizes town, utilising the dense hedgerows, pastures and woodlands between Devizes Castle and Drews Pond Wood LNR. "Bats are excellent flag-ship species to study because they utilise a variety of habitats within the landscape. Conservation work for bats can benefit a range of other species in the landscape too,” says Gareth.

Mr Hislop said: "Education is central to the Drews Pond Wood Project – only if local communities understand and appreciate their local environment and wildlife can they really look after it for future generations. These findings further confirm that Drews Pond Wood is a biodiversity hotspot right on our doorstep.”