Farm TrailsTeacher's NotesAbout Organic Farming
Riverford FarmMore about the farmArrange a visit

1

Wash barn

  
2

Yarbury reservoir

  
3

The copse

   Photo courtesy of Ian Davidson Watts, copyright 2003
4

Bats

  
5

Welland viewpoint

  
6

Willow
Greater Horseshoe Bat - Photo courtesy of Ian Davidson Watts, copyright 2003

Greater horseshoe bats

The farm has 60 hectares of permanent pasture that are known to be the feeding ground for Europe’s biggest roost of greater horseshoe bats. The bats love to eat dung beetles and a cow pat can be the home for up to 100 dung beetle larvae (young).

  • Organic farming helps provide food for these bats. In the absence of routine cattle wormers - which kill off invertebrates - dung beetles and their larvae (young) can thrive in the cow pats.

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» DID YOU KNOW?

The greater horseshoe bat is one of Britain’s rarest bats as well as one of its largest with a 35 centimetre wing span.

Photo courtesy of Ian Davidson Watts, copyright 2003.
© Soil Association 2000-2004