THE Three Towns Growers will be holding a bat-walk, following a talk at their allotment site next week.

And special bat-detectors will be used so plot holders can learn to identify different bat species in the local area.

The Growers will host Anne Youngman, the Scottish Officer of The Bat Conservation Trust on Tuesday, May 23 at 8:30 pm in the Cabin, Elm Park Community Gardens and Allotments, Ardrossan.

Anne will give a talk entitled “Introduction to bats, from global to local” followed by a bat walk on site using the special detectors. This is an exciting opportunity for plot holders to learn more about bats and how to use bat detectors to identify bat species in the local area.

It’s all part of the group’s plan to enhance and maintain the biodiversity at their allotments and community gardens site.

To undertake this Dr Frank Clarke, a plot holder and Ardrossan-based ecologist, has put together a 10-point biodiversity action plan for the site.

This meets the objectives of North Ayrshire Council’s (NAC) Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP). Three Towns Growers hopes to work closely with NAC to meet their shared objectives. As part of this biodiversity action plan Three Town Growers aims to create a pond on site.

A pond is one of the most useful habitats one can create to benefit wildlife and aid gardening. Frogs once introduced to the pond will help control slug problems in the allotments. 

Also Three Towns Growers will create a small community orchard which will be a superb wildlife habitat providing food and shelter for a wide range of creatures, particularly birds and provide nectar for pollinators.

 At least nine UK varieties of apple trees, including Red Falstaff, Greensleeves, and James Grieve will be planted on the site.

Local school children will be involved in the planting and maintenance of the orchard and will help in the harvest of apples which will be made into jams and preserves for local community.

Tree planting will coincide with the National Tree Week, November 25 to December 3.

Other action will include growing a pollinator border set aside for wildlife with key insect foraging plants such as comfrey, raspberry, clovers, aromatic herbs (coriander, catnip, mint, parsley, lavender), annuals (marigold, phlox, bachelor’s button, zinnia, cosmos, salvia), and perennials (bee balm, iris, coneflower, lobelia, delphinium) and other wild flowers to provide nectar for bees and butterflies.

Additionally later in the year Three Towns Growers will install a number of bat boxes on mature trees growing on site.

Bats are beneficial to allotments as some of these insects are plant pests.

There will also be an open day at the allotments on May 27, with a plant sale on the site.