Envisage Environmental

Artificial light can influence how bats use the landscape, affecting commuting routes, foraging behaviour, emergence timing, and access to roosts. Behavioural responses to lighting are highly species-specific, with some bats avoiding illuminated areas while others may be attracted to changes in insect abundance.

This species-specific sensitivity is formally recognised in the National Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife, which include a dedicated technical appendix addressing the risks artificial light poses to bats. As impact assessments aligned with this guidance become increasingly expected as part of environmental approvals processes, understanding these behavioural responses is essential to accurately assessing project impacts and designing effective mitigation measures.

Recognising that robust assessments require expertise in both lighting and bat ecology, Nocterra has partnered with Envisage Environmental to deliver integrated bat and artificial light assessments. Envisage Environmental is a Western Australian environmental consultancy specialising in vertebrate fauna and threatened species assessments. Led by Principal Ecologist Chris Knuckey, Envisage brings extensive experience in bat ecology, including impact assessment, targeted surveys, acoustic monitoring, and long-term monitoring programs for threatened bat species throughout Western Australia.

Working together, Nocterra provides artificial light measurement, modelling, and mitigation advice, while Envisage leads bat survey design, acoustic monitoring, ecological impact assessment, and species-specific interpretation. This collaborative approach provides clients with a scientifically robust assessment of how artificial light may affect bat populations and supports the development of practical, evidence-based mitigation strategies.