Rob Booth, Reserves Officer for North Wales Wildlife Trust, talks us through some of the updates that have been made at Gwaith Powdwr Nature Reserve.

This winter, thanks to generous funding through the Welsh Government's Sustainable Management Scheme - Supporting Natura 2000 Restoration, our bat roosts have received a big boost. Brand new roosting opportunities have been created in the ex-explosives factory's buildings and many of the existing roosts have been either saved or improved to provide long-term safe and secure habitats for species such as the lesser horseshoes, as well as brown long-eared, and common and soprano pipistrelle bats.

In addition to the new habitats we have also acquired new monitoring equipment such as low light infra-red cameras and bat detectors that will help us better understand where the bats are throughout the year and their population sizes.

Other wildlife has also not been forgotten! We have also installed bee bricks, bird boxes for swifts and kestrel, and a new reptile hibernacula has been created for adders and grass snake to slither into.

Why not take a walk around the reserve this spring to try and find all the new habitats you have helped us to create?

Alternatively, if you fancy getting more involved you can volunteer with us! We have new bat monitoring equipment, including static detectors and cameras, and that need help keeping an eye on this season. No experience necessary as training will be provided. Please contact the reserve officer Rob Booth (Rob.Booth@northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk) for more details.