How do we make Amsterdam’s bike tunnels less scary?
It involves all the five senses, apparently
Bats help control the insect population like natural insecticides , Source: Peter Neumann / Unsplash
The Belgian capital is home to around 20 species of bats, who mainly feed on insects and help keep local biodiversity
The Brussels bat festival is ready to kick off on 20 August. The event will last until 3 September and citizens of the Belgian capital will have the chance to familiarise themselves with the nocturnal mammals, as well as their importance to the local ecosystem.
The event is organised by Bruxelles-Environnement, with the help of the non-governmental environmental organisation Natagora and will feature documentaries, family entertainment and guided tours of the bat protection facilities in the city.
The festival will mark the 26th European Bat Night on 27 August and all events will be free.
Brussels is home to around 20 different species of bats, from ones that fit in a matchbox to the noctule, that has a wingspan of 45 centimetres. Bats are also extremely vital to the city’s ecosystem, as they feed on insects and some species are able to eat half their weight in insects every night.
However, since the 1950s their population has been in decline due to humans suppressing their living environment, light pollution and the massive use of insecticides, reducing food supply.
Bruxelles-Environnement and Natagora have been implementing different measures to help stabilise the species population. These include underground bat habitats, that are inaccessible to humans and maintaining old trees that have a lot of nooks and cavities, perfect places for resting bats.
Additionally, the organisations have also lobbied successfully for installing LEDs in the Sonian Forest in the south of the Belgian capital. This is because LEDs are less disturbing to wildlife compared to traditional street lights.
In a joint statement, the organisations point out that every citizen can help protect the bat population by protecting existing natural shelters and illuminating their own gardens less at night. Additionally, they can avoid the use of pesticides and place artificial shelters if they want to go the extra mile.
Are you between 15 and 29 years old? Take a moment to complete a short survey on youth empowerment on this link.
It involves all the five senses, apparently
Germany’s new approach has convinced hundreds of thousands of people to start using public transport for the first time
Drivers will be legally required to push their scooters manually in pedestrian areas and parks
Greece and Bulgaria are set to build one of the first 5G cross-border corridors in Europe
The feline registry is expected to start operating in 2026
The team presented the final report about a year, which was supposed to put the Luxembourgish city on the cultural map of Europe
It involves all the five senses, apparently
What you pay for having your car resting in the city will now depend on several different factors
Germany’s new approach has convinced hundreds of thousands of people to start using public transport for the first time
What you pay for having your car resting in the city will now depend on several different factors
Fredensborg Municipality is inviting residents to take the bikes for a spin…lasting up to 3 months
After all, sleeping carriages are basically hotels on wheels
The practical art objects are competing for one of the 2023 New European Bauhaus Prizes
Cast your vote before 24 May and do your part in promoting the NEB values
The new itineraries are part of the DiscoverEU programme, which lets 18-year-olds travel by train between important European sites
An interview with the president of the European Federation of Journalists
A talk with the head of Mission Zero Academy on the benefits for municipalities if they go the zero waste way
A talk with Nicolae Urs, one of the key figures behind the city's new data platforms and online services strategy