Bat Licence Training

Our hybrid training allows you to study the theory over the winter and practice your survey skills in the summer. Our training costs £3800 (2026/27).

How does it work?

Online

After a brief introduction in October, you will be provided with a suite of pre-recorded training videos. You will need to watch these and complete some preparatory tasks ahead of each live session. Live sessions are held in November, January and March. Live sessions are held on Zoom and run from 9am to 5pm.

In-person

We spend five days in the field, practising your survey skills. Field days are held in May (1), August (2) and September (2).

Throughout, we will assess you by asking you to complete 10 assessments.

Which licence?

Our training and mentoring prepare trainees to hold a bat survey licence in England or Wales. 

As standard, we train and assess all delegates for a Natural England class 2 licence (CL18) (or equivalent Natural Resource Wales licence). This includes bat handling, using a hand-net & endoscope.

For more information see the Gov.uk or Natural Resources Wales websites.

What will I learn?

Our training is based on the Bat Conservation Trust’s ‘Professional Training Standards’. There are twelve units:

• Legislation, licensing and planning
• Considerations for bat surveys
• Ecological considerations for bat surveys
• Preliminary Ecological Appraisal for bats
• Bat roost inspection surveys – buildings built structures and underground sites
• Bat roost inspection surveys – trees
• Emergence/re-entry surveys – structures and trees
• Bat activity and back tracking surveys 
• Advanced licence bat surveys 
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Writing bat reports
• Bat roost mitigation 

How is it assessed?

Each online session is accompanied by an assessment. These are to check understanding and re-enforce learning. There are a variety of assessment methods, including; written questions, reading, self-guided study exercises and report writing.   

To prepare you for the final assessment, you will complete two mock assessments; a Preliminary Roost Assessment (PRA) & a Ground Level Tree Assessment (GLTA). 

The final assessment requires you to prepare a bat survey report of a PRA and GLTA. 

Practical skills (handling, using a hand-net & endoscope) are assessed throughout the programme.

Final review

Once you have submitted your final report, you can sit back and relax. It’s then over to us to mark your report. Once this is complete, we will meet with you again to inform you of the result and provide feedback. There are three potential outcomes of this assessment:

1. Approval – You have passed the assessment and we will provide two references. Most trainees end up in this category.
2. Approval pending some minor alterations – If you do not pass but are close to standard, we allow one re-submission. We will provide constructive feedback and identify areas for improvement. If you rectified these, we will provide you with two references.
3. Not successful – If there is a significant problem with your report, you will need to sit a re-assessment. We will provide constructive feedback and identify areas for improvement. Very few trainees end up in this category. 

Who will train and assess me?

Our Bat Licence Training is a collaboration between Bats Research & Training and Arbology.

Jim Mullholland – BSc (Hons) Dip Arb L6 (ABC) MCIEEM MArborA MICFor

Jim is the director of Bats Research & Training. He is Chartered Arboriculturist and Chartered Environmentalist specialising in bats and veteran trees.

Jim has been researching bats since 2005. During that time he has worked in private (consultant), government (local authority tree officer) and charity sectors (Ancient Tree Forum, Arboricultural Association & Vincent Wildlife Trust). He holds Natural England Class 3 & 4 licences, a Natural England research licence and a Natural Resources Wales bat survey licence.

Jim is a training specialist and holds a level 5 Diploma in Education and Training. He has developed and delivered training for the Arboricultural Association, Ancient Tree Forum, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and the Woodland Trust. He is a LANTRA accredited trainer for the Professional Tree Inspection and Basic Tree Inspection courses.

Jim delivers all of the online sessions and assessments. For the field days, Jim works alongside Sean to deliver the in-person training and assessments.

Sean Shereston BA (Hons) Dip Arb L4 (ABC) TechArborA

Sean is the director of Arbology, an ecological and arboricultural consultancy specialising in tree-climbing and advance infra-red camera bat surveys. He has worked in environmental conservation since 2009, with a specialism in arboriculture and bat work. 

Sean has been involved in a range of research and commercial projects including extensive bat trapping and radio-tracking surveys. He holds Natural England Class 3 & 4 licences and Natural Resources Wales bat survey licences. 

Sean has delivered training throughout his career ranging from practical climbing and chainsaw units, to bat awareness and advanced bat survey techniques. He is also a LANTRA registered trainer.

Sean works with Jim to deliver the in-person elements of the training and assessment.

Work experience 

As well as completing the training and assessments, you will need to obtain the following work experience: 

100 bat contact hours –  a range of different survey types where you have encountered bats e.g. emergence, night-time bat walkovers (transects), bat boxes, back-tracking, swarming surveys, catching, radio-tracking, etc. 

10 Preliminary Roost Assessments – you have shadowed a licensed bat ecologist and found ten bat roosts in buildings, bridges or other above-ground structures. Whilst experience of tree roosts is valuable, it doesn’t count towards this total.  

2 hibernation visits – experience of underground hibernation sites e.g. caves, mines/quarries, tunnels, cellars, ice houses, etc. Bats hibernating in buildings (above-ground) or bat boxes do not count towards this total.

You will need 50% of this experience before you can join the programme; i.e. 50 hours, 5 Preliminary Roost Assessments and 1 hibernation visit. The remaining 50% must be in place by the end of August. You will need to submit your bat-log to evidence your experience. 

How much does it cost and when do I pay ?

£3800 (2026/27). Bookings open in February each year.

A £400 deposit is required on booking. The remaining £3400 is paid in four equal instalments of £850 (October, January, May & August).

What do our trainees say?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Amy Davies 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
20 out of 10 - would highly recommend!
I have just been granted my NRW and NE bat survey licences after completing the 1 year training course with Jim and Sean. The course was very informative but also really enjoyable - particularly the field survey days where we got to handle a wide range of species, including rarities I wouldn’t have otherwise encountered.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Lewis Lakudzala 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I was trained by Jim and Shaun for my level 2 bat license and cannot recommend the course enough. The online sessions are very informative and give all the knowledge needed for the field sessions, which gave plenty of opportunities to see and handle a range of species and learn the proper field surveying techniques.

I also successfully achieved my Level 2 survey license by the end of the course, so I can personally vouch for how great it is
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Frank Peake 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I recently completed the Bat Licence Training course with Jim and Sean and it was really enjoyable. The online sessions were entertaining and interactive whilst also helping us gain a great deal of knowledge. Jim and Sean ensured that there were plenty of opportunities to gain experience trapping and handling bats, allowing us to have handled a variety of the UK's native species. I would highly recommend this course for anyone looking to gain their Bat Licence. Easily the best investment of money and time I've made so far!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Brendan Noone 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Well delivered course, by a knowledgeable and friendly team. Would highly recommended any budding bat ecologist to embark on training with BR&T!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Lucy Callaway 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I've just completed the 1 year course with Jim and Sean and it was a great experience. It was an in depth course which covered areas and bat species that would not usually be accessible through trapping and handling and the information presented in an engaging and understandable way both in person and online teaching. I would highly recommended to anyone wanting to gain their level 2 class licence.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Max Ellis 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I've just completed the 1 year course - the whole process was very engaging from the online webinars to the field days. Jim and Sean are very knowledgeable and provide close support throughout. The field days were particularly memorable; there were some special sites with rarer bat species that otherwise would not be accessible. There are also a number of non-compulsory extra field days to improve handling experience. Highly recommend!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Alice Webb 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Jim and Sean made this course absolutely excellent. I learnt so much & got to handle bats I never thought I would even get to see! I had my final assessment in September and have just applied for my Level 2 licence! I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking to get their licence or any other course either Jim or Sean  put on!
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Sarah 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
I have just applied for my bat licence after completing the Level 2 training course. The online sessions were engaging and the assignments were challenging but I feel extremely well prepared to do licenced bat work. I am based in the North of England and so it's often difficult to get practical hands on experience with some species. The practical sessions provided an excellent opportunity to gain surveying, trapping and handling experience of a wide variety of species. I highly recommend this training course. It is well worth the investment of time, effort and money. Thank you Jim and Sean.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Will Horlock 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
The online training and practical days were run seamlessly with every detail accounted for. The study sites were particularly great; we were able to see a range of roost types and bat species within stumbling distance of the training site.

The course I attended (for Level 2 NE licence) was hard work, but worth every bit of effort. I would absolutely recommend Bats Research and Training courses.
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 Matthew Taylor 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
BATS RTS helped me with their two year training package to gain the knowledge and a great deal of the experience needed to apply for a  Level 2 bat licence.  Both Jim and Sean were excellent tutors during the field training sessions and the discussions with Jim in the training sessions were top notch.  I would really recommend their services, especially if you have an interest in bats roosting in trees.  Thank you for your help BATS RTS!!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 21 reviews 
 
   
 
 

What next?

If you want to know more, please contact us to arrange an introductory call. These calls take place on Zoom and last 45 minutes.

Course bookings open in February each year. Once you’ve had an introductory call, you will receive information about how to book a place. Places are limited; only 12 per year.