The LIFE GRECABAT project is conducting the first social-environmental baseline survey on the attitudes of different stakeholders and citizens towards bats, caves and cave organisms.
This survey aims to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of specific population groups in the project areas and to assess their willingness to support conservation and management actions.
Thus, the questionaries that prepared are:
• (Q01) - Cave managers (employees and executives of management bodies, local authorities, municipal enterprises, etc.)
• (Q02) - Specialised visitors to the caves (archaeologists, biologists, geologists, speleologists etc.)
• (Q03) - Tourism professionals
• (Q04) - General population
• (Q05A) - Visitors/Tourists of the caves (Greeks)
• (Q05B) - Cave Visitors/Tourists (Foreigners)
• Interview questionnaire
The implementation of a data logging prototype for caves (air, humidity, soil and image) commenced. The first system is already installed and the evaluation tests for sensors’ functionality have already begun.
The LIFE-GRECABAT team visited the Spiliaovarathro cave at Pozar baths of Aridaia in the 1st and 2nd of March, 2019. Volunterrs from the Local Department of Northern Greece of the Hellenic Speleological Society, the Geology Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the PROTEAS caving club assisted us and visited the most remote chambers. Prior to the visit to the cave a meeting was held with the authorities competent for the touristic exploitation of the cave.
The abandoned mines of the Dadia National Park are among the most important bats' shelters in Greece. The LIFE-GRECABAT team visited them on March 7, 2019 to record the spring colonies.
The two-entrance cave in the area of Zesta Nera, in Sidirokastro, Serres is opened into travertine, with Krousovitis river running through it. On its first visit, the LIFE-GRECABAT team recorded the general state of the natural environment of the cave and the surrounding area.
![A massive cluster of bent-winged bats [Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl, 1817)] διαχειμάζουν στο σπήλαιο](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/articles/0%20Batcount.jpg?itok=RTXlfiJE)
For three days the LIFE-GRECABAT field team worked in the Cave of the Lakes, starting a systematic study of its fauna and making measurements to install an abiotic parameter monitoring system. The cave is known to date for its impressive decoration. It will soon be known as a unique ecosystem as well.
![Balkan long-eared bat [Plecotus kolobatovici (Dulic, 1980)]](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/articles/0Panagopoula%20lower%2010Feb19%20%2811%29.jpg?itok=PnowuRFo)
In the framework of LIFE-GRECABAT, the project team visited the Panagopoula drainage tunnels to document the presence of the bats. Seven species have been observed so far, some of them forming large summer colonies.
The “Tzani Spilios” sinkhole is located at the entrance of Omalos plateau, in Chania Regional unit. The cave is 2.5 km long and the last siphon is located 280m below the entrance level.
