People Helping Nature Podcast · Conservation Amplified

NZ Bat Conservation: Data, Collaboration & Tech (EP31 with Mark Roper, The Bat Co. Lab)

·49 min

Conservation Amplified hosts Tim, Ana, and Callum interview Mark Roper, a senior ecologist and bat expert, about New Zealand's endangered bat species. The discussion covers the extinction of the greater short-tailed bat, the unique characteristics of the remaining two species (particularly the ground-walking short-tail), population estimates showing dramatic declines, and the conservation strategies in place. Mark explains ecosystem services provided by bats (insect control, pollination, forest health indicators), the threats they face (introduced predators particularly cats, habitat loss, light pollution), and monitoring methods including bioacoustics and mark-recapture techniques. A key revelation is how white nose syndrome in North America led to increased pesticide use when bat populations collapsed—an ecosystem service replaced by toxic chemicals.

As heard by us

A grounded bat conservation conversation that links ecology, surveys, and the practical work of mitigation.

The piece treats bat conservation as a practical case for why the animals matter. It ties them to forest health, insect control, and the state of the wider ecosystem, while also acknowledging the work behind protection, from surveys and population estimates to the limits around…

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Why you'd press play

See how bat surveys, data sharing, and planning shape real conservation work.

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