Welcome back to our home learning series, this is the third edition of our online learning resources and will be investigating the problem of plastic pollution in rivers and find out all about the Daubenton’s bat, also known as the ‘water bat’.

We have introduced these online learning opportunities in response to Covid-19, which has prevented us from going into schools in the Ribble Catchment as we normally would. This is our way of bringing our educational topics to you at home so you can continue to learn all about rivers and wildlife. Each week we will be providing a new main topic, a Wildlife Fact file and a quiz.

Go through the Prezi below, and find out about plastic pollution in rivers. By the end of the Prezi you should know why our rivers, seas and oceans are so important and why we must dispose of our litter responsibly.

Have you had any ideas about what you’re going to do to tackle microplastics?

This week’s Wildlife Fact file is all about the Daubenton’s bat, a small-medium sized bat with brown fur, grey belly and pink face. Read all about it in the fact file below or click to open the pdf.

Listen to the short clip below to hear from ecologist David Fisher as he talks about bats on the River Hodder at Slaidburn.

QUIZ

How much have you learnt about plastic pollution and the Daubenton’s bat? Test your knowledge with a quiz! If you aren’t sure about an answer, go back and complete the Prezi or listen to the Wildlife Fact file again.

1. What are microplastics?
   1. Very small pieces of plastic, less than 5mm long
   2. Little toy animals
   3. Small sweets
   4. Small buttons

2. What colour is the Daubenton’s bat?
   1. Black with a red belly
   2. Brown with a grey belly
   3. Grey with a pink belly
   4. Brown with a pink belly

3. Over 80% of pollution in rivers and oceans comes from activities on land
   1. True
   2. False

4. What is the Daubenton’s bat also known as?
   1. Earth bat
   2. Air bat
   3. Water bat
   4. Fire bat

5. What is the Ribble Catchment?
   1. All the rivers in the Ribble Valley
   2. A group of people who protect the River Ribble
   3. A big net in the Ribble Valley
   4. The land where water collects and flows into the River Ribble

6. What is the Daubenton’s bat’s preferred habitat?
   1. Freshwater and woodland
   2. Saltwater and rainforest
   3. Desert and woodland
   4. Freshwater and tundra

7. Why are microplastics a problem?
   1. They can make animals feel full so they don’t eat enough, and starve
   2. They can be poisonous to the animals that eat them
   3. They can disrupt food chains
   4. All of the above

8. How does the Daubenton’s bat find its prey?
   1. A torch
   2. Echolocation
   3. Feeling with their feet
   4. Sensors on their wings

9. How are microplastics transferred through the food chain?
   1. They aren’t
   2. When animals fight over the same piece of plastic
   3. Fish give otters microplastic gifts
   4. When one animal eats another animal with microplastics in its stomach

10. Where might you find Daubenton’s bats during winter?
    1. In maternity roosts
    2. Hibernating underground
    3. Going for a swim
    4. Hanging from trees

Click here to see the answers!