Bats are often used to measure how healthy our environment is. This fantastic new technology detects ultrasonic calls, tracking whether bats are present and their activity level, and by studying this we can see how healthy the Park’s wildlife is.

We’ve always been committed to making the Park as sustainable and biodiverse as possible, and the data from these sensors will help us continue to protect the environment in the area. It will also give us a better understanding of how wildlife is impacted by rapid environmental change – as is often the case in cities like London.

Live data from the bat sensors, which have been installed in 15 locations around the Park, can be viewed on the project website www.naturesmartcities.com. The full findings will be available towards the end of the year.

The smart detectors have been developed and installed by UCL and Intel scientists in collaboration with Arup, the Bat Conservation Trust, and the London Wildlife Trust.

Read the full press release