Bat enthusiasts from across Australasia will be flocking to Hamilton's Claudelands Arena for a special symposium this Sunday.

Hosted by local bat advocacy group Project Echo, the symposium is part of ERA2016 – the Ecology and Restoration Australasia conference which is taking place from November 19–23.

It's the first joint conference between New Zealand and Australian ecological societies and will include delegates from a broad range of universities, organisations, governments, and volunteer groups.

Representatives from Project Echo, which was established by the Waikato Regional and Hamilton City councils plus the Riverlea Environment Society Incorporated will also be on hand to provide an update on recent native bat developments in the city.

The symposium will also feature Hamilton City Council community planting co-ordinator Gerard Kelly giving a talk about his involvement in Project Echo and how it's been inspiring many young people to explore the city's gullies and roosting bat populations.

'Hamilton is the perfect place to host this symposium because it is one of the few cities in New Zealand to still support a resident population of long-tailed bats.

'With the help of the local community, we have been working hard to gather information on bat populations throughout the city. Now we've started to focus our efforts on protecting trees where bats roost, and targeted pest animal control in selected parks in the city.”

Symposium delegates will get a chance to encounter bats in real life during a number of field trips, to the Pureora Forest, Pukemokemoke Reserve and Hammond Bush.

But if you're a bat enthusiasts who's unable to attend the conference, Waikato Museum will be offering bat encounters for members of the public next year.

Various staff from Waikato Regional Council will be at the conference sharing their experience on environmental restoration.

Ecologist Dr Yanbin Deng will talk about how to enhance the resilience of Kahikatea forest remnants in the Waikato region, while senior biodiversity officer Dr Andrea Julian will explain how she prioritises sites for possum control.

To learn more about the long-tailed bat and Project Echo's efforts to protect them visit the Waikato Regional Council's website at: www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/projectecho/

For more information about the ERA2016 conference and bat symposium visit: www.era2016.com

Hamilton City Council's community planting co-ordinator Gerard Kelly inspecting a bat roosting box. Photo: WRC