Microclimas: bat conservation and community engagement

Microclimas programme · 2024 call

Conserving bats.
Connecting people.

Bat boxes, field science and virtual reality come together in Guaro, Almargen and Pizarra. A Murciélagos Málaga project bringing biodiversity into community life.

Funded under the agreement between Diputación Provincial de Málaga and Fundación Bancaria Unicaja.

Community participation beside one of the project’s installed bat boxes.
The community beside one of the project’s bat boxes.
9bat boxes installed
3municipalities
3Bat Nights
≈131attendees

Objectives

Three connected areas of work

01 · Provide roosts

Increase roosting opportunities for insect-eating bats in urban and agroforestry environments.

02 · Understand local activity

Document the network and bat activity through location records, inspections and acoustic monitoring.

03 · Share the science

Explain bats’ ecological role through community participation, guided walks and virtual reality.

Biological insect control, biodiversity conservation and local climate adaptation guide the project.

Conservation in the field

Nine bat boxes. A network for continued learning.

Three double-chamber boxes in each municipality, with sites selected according to orientation, available supports, safety and habitat. Each box has a location record and photographs, brought together in a map to support inspections and maintenance.

Installing the bat box network in Pizarra.
Installing bat boxes in Pizarra.
MuMa bat box installed in Pizarra.
A MuMa bat box installed on a tree.

Community participation

From the talk to the evening walk

Bat Nights combined talks, virtual reality and walks with ultrasonic detectors. Local communities explored the bat box network and discovered bat activity in their surroundings.

Guaro

24 April 2026 · ≈65 attendees

Almargen

22 May 2026 · ≈31 attendees

Pizarra

5 June 2026 · ≈35 attendees

Moments from the events

Environmental education during Microclimas in Pizarra.
Introducing the project in Pizarra.
Introducing the bat box network to participants in the field.
Explaining the bat box network to participants.
Listening to and interpreting bat activity during the evening walk.
Acoustic interpretation and observation at dusk.

Educational innovation

MuMa Bats 360 VR

Developed within the project, this self-guided Meta Quest experience explores caves, agricultural landscapes and cities. Available in Spanish and English, it explains echolocation, habitats and coexistence with bats. An optional final quiz reinforces learning.

An immersive experience exploring the world of bats.
Discovering bats through an immersive experience.
Shared virtual reality experiences and support during Microclimas events.
Shared learning during the events.
Guided MuMa VR experience during Microclimas in Pizarra.
Guidance during the VR experience in Pizarra.

What the project leaves behind

An installed and documented network, acoustic recordings, outreach materials and a reusable immersive tool. These resources provide a basis for continued monitoring and further environmental education activities.

Further inspections will document box condition and occupancy. Acoustic activity is not a count of individual bats; measurable reductions in pests and pesticide use require medium-term evaluation.

Call and funding

Programa Microclimas · 2024 call

Project funded under the collaboration agreement between Diputación Provincial de Málaga and Fundación Bancaria Unicaja, linked to Málaga Viva. The call was published in Málaga’s Official Provincial Gazette, no. 164, on 26 August 2024.

Official project title: Control Biológico de Plagas en Zonas Urbanas y Agroforestales mediante Refugios de Murciélagos: Innovación Tecnológica y Sostenibilidad.

Project lead and beneficiary: Antonio Miguel Moret Gómez · Murciélagos Málaga.

Official call referenceOfficial announcement of selected projects

Bring bat conservation to your municipality

Bat boxes, monitoring and environmental education adapted to local needs.

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