James Shipman talks to us about Identifying Bats of Britain and Ireland.
Could you tell us a little about your background and when your fascination with bats began?
My name is James Shipman, originally I planned to work as a game ranger in South Africa but after returning to the U.K. I studied zoology, met my wife and fell into landscaping as my first career and passion. A roofer and builder both mentioned I may ‘like’ working with bats as I’m an 'animal person' so I explored the idea of them as a hobby!
After a few events I was gripped and I have volunteered with bats for nearly 15 years now with the intention to instil passion, enthusiasm and fun for everything bat related in volunteers and professionals! Within this time I have helped train/licence over 50-75 individuals (could be more, I don’t count!). Now after nearly 20 years in the landscaping sector I now work in ecology as a professional.
What made you decide to write Identifying Bats of Britain and Ireland and who is the target audience for book/who do you hope will pick up a copy?
During my years of training I found that the serious and technical books available out there were hard to learn from and that guidance that was fun, easy to relate to and work with would be beneficial! It was a lot of my new and old trainees that suggested the idea originally but other authors of bat books with Pelagic had mentioned to the publishers I would bring a nice approach to ID for ecologists, so here we are!
Natterer's bat, myotis nattereri
Did you discover anything that particularly surprised you whilst researching the book?
Funnily enough I discovered more about myself and mental well-being when researching the book. It helped me grow in confidence as an author and as a person.
What was the biggest challenge you faced whilst writing the book?
Mental health is massive in all areas of life and I felt that slight delays in the time of this being finished were due to anxiety of being judged on the final product. However, many close friends and ex-trainees told me that more positives will come of this than negatives. The book is for any level of bat worker and to be taken with a light-hearted approach. It’s important to address these things when discussing books, it’s a hard process and without friends, family and a decent publisher (plus the bats) you can sometimes feel isolated. Luckily, I had the best support from all of the above!
Kuhl's pipistrelle, pipistellus kuhlii
Do any of your experiences with bats stand out as favourites or most memorable?
I have been told I should share many of these memories, but by far catching some of the last protected bats above a UNESCO Heritage Site in Gibraltar whilst watching the sunrise with the silhouette of Morocco in the background is hard to beat.
What advice would you give someone looking to support bat conservation?
Well - Never give up, have fun, have an open mind and look for equally fantastic and passionate people like yourself
There are many people from many backgrounds I have trained over the years including a variety of people of different neurodivergent levels. There is a place for anyone and anything in the world of bats
Learn more about Identifying Bats of Britain and Ireland here.
