In the face of ongoing global biodiversity loss, innovative conservation methods are crucial. Two years ago, Carbon Rewild secured one of our Research and Innovation Grants to test an advanced tool for monitoring birds and bats in remote Scottish woodlands.

We spoke with Stefan Zeeman, Director & Co-Founder of Carbon Rewild, to learn more.

“Certain bird or bat species can reveal a lot about local habitats and land health,” explains Stefan. “Using sound to monitor biodiversity offers an effective means to assess their habitat and overall ecosystem health.”       

How it works

Bioacoustic monitoring employs sound to study wildlife activity. “We position recorders to capture bird songs and bat calls, allowing us to learn about different species and their behaviours without disturbing their natural surroundings,” says Stefan.  

Advancements in recording technology and AI data analysis have significantly expanded the potential of bioacoustic monitoring. And while traditional hand-held acoustic monitoring effectively tracks individual species, the team saw a gap in providing continuous, comprehensive data on species and their behaviours, especially in remote and diverse ecosystems.

“We wanted to test and deploy specialised recording devices on site for extended periods of time to listen to the sounds of birds and bats.”

Why we funded this research

“We appreciated Carbon Rewild’s commitment to further trial their equipment and finetune their enhanced surveying technique. Their aim for an affordable and hassle-free design means that keen land managers can simply install the hardware themselves and post back the kit for analysis.”

Ailsa Watson, Operations and Finance Manager, Future Woodlands Scotland  

What they found

Between June 2022 and May 2023, the Carbon Rewild team deployed devices in 12 woodlands across Scotland, monitoring each site for a month using multiple recording devices.

“Our study, facilitated bythe Future Woodlands Scotland’s grant, allowed us to test our methods and equipment in different environments and seasons,” says Stefan. “This was crucial to our work.”  

“We identified 78 bird and 5 bat species capturing 200,000 minutes of audio data, including tracking the activity of the Chiffchaff, a migratory bird species,” adds Stefan. “Several species of conservation concern, such as Woodcock and Tree Pipit, were also identified.”

Why it matters

Bioacoustic monitoring helps track wildlife responses to climate change and human impact, monitor endangered species and assess habitat restoration efforts. This method, being non-invasive, scalable and repeatable, makes it a valuable tool for ecological research and conversation planning.

It complements traditional methods like direct visual observations and point counts by allowing long-term passive monitoring. This is particularly beneficial for identifying secretive or nocturnal species.

Looking ahead

“We shared the research with our partners and landowners interested in biodiversity monitoring,” explains Stefan. Our objective is to make acoustic monitoring more accessible for effective woodland monitoring and we are grateful to Future Woodlands Scotland for aiding our progress in this field.”

Listen to the Woodland Birdsong captured by the study:

Read the full report

Find out more about Carbon Rewild’s work

Grants of up to £10,000 available

Research and Innovation Grants (RIG) are aimed at environmental organisations, academic institutions, individuals and policy makers to support research and innovative thinking in the development and understanding of native woodlands and their impact on climate change and biodiversity.  

Our next deadline is 5pm on Friday 16th August 2024.

Apply today