Ben Paris
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nzbatman.bsky.social
Ben Paris
@nzbatman.bsky.social
#Conservation #scicomm, passionate about #nzbats. Opinions my own. Repost/follows not endorsements. ❤️ #batspotting 🦇 #teampekapeka 🌳 #nzdotterel 🐥 #pestfreeAKL 🐀
Supporting Finding Franklin Bats last night with the Wild Heroes film crew helping make these pekapeka TV stars 🌟 🦇

#nzbats #community #conservation #aklbiodiversity #pekapeka #biodiversity #pestfreeakl #wildheroes
November 17, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Had an amazing time at the Regional Auckland Predator Free Hui today! The speakers were incredibly inspiring. But, the highlight of these gatherings is always the opportunity to connect with passionate individuals face-to-face
#PredatorFree #Auckland #pestfreeAKL #Community #Conservation #Networking
November 2, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Imogen from Auckland Council speaks on the challenges of managing all pests in a growing largest city #predatorfreehui @predatorfreenz.bsky.social
November 1, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Jessi for @predatorfreenz.bsky.social speaking at the #predatorfreehui about a culture shift and collaboration benefiting all of us 🐀
November 1, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Definitely going to use this on my house 🦇🦇
October 30, 2025 at 2:11 AM
The Environmental Services team are looking for Biosecurity Ambassadors to help safeguard our kauri forests 🌳 and marine spaces 🌊
Apply now:
🔗 Team Coordinator: lnkd.in/gVqhyMc4
🔗 Biosecurity Ambassador: lnkd.in/gyszryGs
🔗 Marine Biosecurity Role: lnkd.in/gfHZdERM
#Auckland #jobs #pestfreeAKL
October 21, 2025 at 11:09 PM
🦇Halloween Special Bat Walk 🦇

📅 Date: Friday 31st October 2025 @ 7:20pm
🗺️ Location: (Details and directions will be sent to registered attendees)
🎟️ Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/pekapeka-w...

Spaces are limited, but don’t worry if you miss out, more Bat Walks are coming over the next few months.
October 15, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Huge thanks to everyone who’s joined a walk, shared a bat story, or just gotten excited about these tiny nocturnal legends. Here’s to many more years of bat chats, bat detector demos, and late-night bat spotting 🦇

#NZbats #TeamPekapeka #ProjectEcho #FindingFranklinBats #batspotting #conservation
September 30, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Since then, I’ve been proudly waving the bat banner wherever I go—sometimes literally—and enabling others do the same. From late-night walks to community talks, it’s been a wild (or batty) ride... 🦇
September 30, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Today a social media memory popped up, reminding me that fifteen years ago, I started my bat journey in Hamilton, co-founding Project Echo to help people discover the amazing world of our native bats. We ran some bat walks at the Waikato Museum that surprisingly completely sold out... 🦇
September 30, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Colouring wharenui for #māorlanguageweek at Bunnings New Lynn
September 21, 2025 at 12:11 AM
It was great to meet Clare Cudmore-Neame and Catherine Budai in real life for the launch of Matt the Bat and the Bird of the Year at Remuera Library this morning to celebrate their book inspired by the true story of Forest & Bird’s #BirdOfTheYear 🦇
September 20, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Even in 2025, our precious pekapeka still gets a mention for winning the Bird of the Year competition. Was it all worth it? You bet!

All the best to this year’s campaigners—may the best (actual) bird win!

#birdoftheyear #teampekapeka #NZBats #campaigning #elections
September 19, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Suddenly, I was in my infant daughter’s bedroom, broadcasting live on national television and giving interviews about why I believed bats deserved to be in the competition. It all seems surreal now, but it was a rollercoaster ride in more ways than one.
September 19, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Campaigning for Bird of the Year gave me a sense of connection—not just to the rest of NZ, but, it turns out, to the world. What started with me hoping to raise awareness for bats quickly turned into a surge of strong interest from people from all walks of life, wanting to help the pekapeka.
September 19, 2025 at 1:44 AM
It was a strange and challenging time for me personally—having just been plunged into a COVID lockdown shortly after the birth of our second child, juggling working from home in a brand new senior role at council, all while being isolated without the support of family networks.
September 19, 2025 at 1:44 AM
As Bird of the Year in Aotearoa swings into full campaign mode for 2025, I found myself reflecting on my time as the pekapeka spokesperson during the one (and only) time a bat was allowed in the competition 🦇
September 19, 2025 at 1:44 AM
📣 It was so great to be a bat cheerleader for Ana last night as she talked at the Auckland Zoological Society about the benefits of an undergraduate student attending the @ibrc2025.bsky.social conference last month, including meeting her hero Merlin Tuttle 🦇 #ibrc2025
September 19, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Make sure you vote y’all #voteAKL
September 18, 2025 at 5:26 AM
🦇✨ Curious about pekapeka in Franklin?✨🦇
Ever wondered if bats are flying through your backyard at night, and how you can detect them?
September 8, 2025 at 6:08 AM
And this is why we do it!! #backyard #biodiversity #AKLbiodiversity
September 3, 2025 at 7:03 AM
The Trapinator lure worked a treat in our backyard trapping #predatorfreenz #pestfreeAKL
September 3, 2025 at 7:03 AM
NEW VACANCIES
Do you want to be a paid part of the Te Ara Hīkoi/Predator Free Franklin team? Now's your chance! They are seeking THREE new roles…
August 29, 2025 at 3:56 AM
I’m not a recruiting expert, but after sitting on both sides of the hiring table over the past five years, a few things have become clear.
You can often spot an AI-generated cover letter from a mile away—but the ones that really stick with me are from new grads...
August 28, 2025 at 7:02 AM
I’m Ben, conservation advisor by day, bat advocate by night, working at raising the profile of New Zealand’s 2.5 species of bats 🦇 by empowering communities to understand and take part in citizen science based research about bats in their local area, and how they can help protect them 💪
August 25, 2025 at 6:48 AM