Certified Tree Climbing & Aerial Rescue: Specialist Support for Bat Surveys
Delivering mandatory 10% biodiversity net gain through robust metric calculations and habitat management plans to secure your project’s planning approval.
E3 Ecology.
Aerial Bat Inspections
In January 2026, graduate ecologist Abbie Tunnicliffe at E3 Ecology successfully completed the City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Certificate of Competence in Climbing Trees and Aerial Rescue at Askham Bryan College, York. The qualification forms part of E3 Ecology’s continued investment in specialist skills to support bat surveys and licensed mitigation works involving trees.
The course comprised an intensive five days of training, undertaken in challenging winter conditions. Periods of strong winds, heavy rain and cold temperatures required a consistently high standard of concentration, safe decision-making and adaptability. These conditions closely reflected the realities of site work and provided a robust test of both technical competence and professional judgement. Training covered both the theoretical and practical elements required for safe and competent tree climbing, including equipment selection and inspection, rope systems, access techniques, limb walking, aerial rescue and emergency procedures.
Technical Competence
After five days of training, a formal NPTC assessment took place on the sixth day. Feedback highlighted Abbie’s well-managed rope systems, carefully selected access routes and the use of strong, suitably positioned anchor points within the canopy. Equipment inspections were undertaken thoroughly, with a clear awareness of common defects and safety considerations. Limb walking, spiking techniques and crown rescue scenarios were all completed safely and confidently, supported by correctly installed back-up and belay systems. As a result, Abbie was awarded the Certificate of Competence in Climbing Trees and Aerial Rescue (CS38).
This qualification further enhances E3 Ecology’s ability to deliver in-house aerial tree inspections where ground-level assessment alone is insufficient. It allows the team to undertake Preliminary Roost Assessments (PRAs) and Presence/Absence Surveys for bats in trees, particularly on development sites containing individual trees, groups of trees or larger woodland areas proposed to be affected by works. This is especially valuable where accurate assessment of bat roost potential is required to inform survey design, mitigation strategies or European Protected Species (EPS) bat licence applications.
Efficient & Responsive
By increasing in-house tree climbing capacity, E3 Ecology can offer clients a more efficient, responsive and proportionate service, while maintaining high standards of safety, legal compliance and ecological rigour.
In some cases, detailed aerial tree inspection may also allow the need for further bat presence/absence surveys during the roosting season to be ruled out at an earlier stage, helping to reduce delays to development programmes.
How Can E3 Ecology Help?
If you think E3 Ecology can help with your bat surveys, tree-based PRAs, or licensed bat works involving trees, please get in touch to discuss your project.