Told by Jane Lambourne

Maulden Woods, owned and managed by Forestry England, is home to lots of creatures which we rarely see because they are very secretive or because they are mainly active at night. One of those nocturnal animals is the bat - the main character of this story – The Bat and the Basket. Emerging at dusk, bats swoop about catching flying insects using echolocation – a way of locating food and objects through emitting high-pitched sound and listening to the echoes bouncing back.

This story explains why bats comes out as it gets dark.

The bat and the basket story is an African tale from Sierra Leone. Traditionally of course, the story would have been told with all the characters being African animals, such as monkey and elephant. In this retelling the other characters you will meet are all animals that can found in Maulden Woods, some of which are a very secretive and rarely seen. 

Download and listen as you explore Maulden Woods:

The_Bat_and_The_Basket_-_200822-001_-_Janes_Story.mp3

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The ‘Stories on the Greensand’ have been recorded on behalf of The Greensand Trust to raise awareness about the Greensand Area. They are not for commercial use and should not be used, altered, copied or replicated for other media. If you wish to use this material for public /non-profit benefit other than personal use,  please contact The Greensand Trust for permission and required acknowledgement details.