Bats of Latvia
+371 29 439 097
Dr.biol. Gunārs Pētersons
Associate professor at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, certified bat expert, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development appointed expert for the Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats (EUROBATS) since 2013, Chairman of the Bat Research Society of Latvia.
Gunārs started researching bats under the guidance Ināra Rūce (Buša) in 1979, while studying in University of Latvia Faculty of Biology. He is the author of more than 20 scientific publications and has taken part in or led all bat research and monitoring projects in Latvia since 1980 and performs environmental assessments as a bat expert.
Dr.biol. Viesturs Vintulis
Certified bat expert, Board member of Bat Research Society of Latvia.
Viesturs began his work with bats in 1991 and has participated in all major bat research projects in Latvia since 1992. He is also the head of monitoring of hibernating bats. Viesturs gives a lot of talks on bats and their conservation in various events and is the main lecturer at the annual Bat Night in Ķemeri National park, he contributes in making the new Latvian bat homepage as well as management of our Facebook page. His other interests are birds, butterflies and nature photography.
+371 22 017 490
+371 29 361 851
Dr.biol. Jurģis Šuba
Researcher at the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava", certified bat expert.
Has participated in various bat research projects since 2005 and participates in hibernating bat counts and monitoring of maternity colonies in the summer.
Ilze Brila
Veterinarian, PhD student, Board member of Bat Research Society of Latvia.
Ilze graduated from Latvia University of Agriculture Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2017. She currently is a PhD student of biology in University of Oulu, Finland. Ilze has participated in all biggest bat research projects, migrating and hibernating bat monitoring and maternity colony counts in Latvia since 2011. She has learned from bat researchers in Sardinia during her Erasmus+ internship in 2017. She is running the creation of new Latvian bat homepage as well as management of BRSL Facebook and Twitter pages.
Renāte Kaupuža
Bachelor of Engineering,Science Renātes path in bat research began in 2015, when she met prof. Gunārs Pētersons. Under his guidance Renāte has participated in an array of bat research projects, with emphasis on acoustic analysis of bat recording. She also takes part in monitoring of hibernating bats.
Normunds Kukārs
Participates in bat research since 2003 – giving guided bat tours during various events, e.g. Bat Night at Ķemeri National Park, participates in bat monitoring during autumn migration in Pape Ornithological Research station and bat counts in maternity colonies and during hibernation.
Ilze Kukāre
Master of Environmental Science, biologist, certified plant and biotope expert.
Ilze has been a part of bat research in Latvia since 2003, she has helped with hibernating bat counts, monitoring of bat maternity colonies and migratory bat research in Pape Ornithological Research station. She also participates in educational events about bats, e.g. Ķemeri National Park organized annual Bat Night.
Alise Elksne
Bachelor of Science in Biology, research assistant at University of Latvia Institute of Biology.
Participates in migratory bat research and monitoring in Pape Ornithological Research station since 2016, also takes part in maternity colony counts of pond bat (Myotis dasycneme) and hibernating bat monitoring. Has done her bachelor’s thesis on migratory bat behavior and navigation. During Erasmus+ traineeship learned from bat researchers in Portugal.
Alda Stepanova
Master of Science in Biology, Senior State nature inspector at Nation Conservation Agency in Latgale Administrative region.
Alda has been active in bat research since 2001 via monitoring in maternity colonies, hibernacula and during autumn migration. She now continues to count bats during winter in cellars in Madona region.
Ainis Platais
Bachelor of Management, University of Latvia, Faculty of Business, Management and Economics.
Participates in bat research and monitoring since 1991, has contributed in creation of first Latvian bat atlas and participated in migratory bat monitoring in bird boxes. Continues to be an active member of bat hibernacula monitoring team.
Kārlis Freibergs
Graduate of Riga Crafts school (now Riga Art and Media school) style furniture designer program. Kārlis participates in bat research since 2016, mostly during monitoring of bat migration and hibernation and in research and radiotracking of Western Barbastelle Bat in Latvia in summer of 2018. In his spare time makes wildlife drawings - KFrei Wildlife Art
Jana Černova
Veterinarian, works at “Dzīvnieku Veselības Centrs” veterinary clinic in Riga.
Jana graduated from Latvia University of Agriculture Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2015. She specializes in bird, exotic and wild animal medicine. Participates in bat research and monitoring of hibernating bats since 2009.
Dr.biol. Ineta Kalniņa
Ineta works in a molecular biology lab and has participated in bat research since 2002. She has helped with pond bat maternity colony, hibernacula and migration monitoring and has taken part in other bat research projects.
Alma Vītola
Physiotherapist, works at ProMed Sport Medicine. Professional bachelor’s in health care with physiotherapist qualification (Rīga Stradiņš University) and bachelor’s degree in biology from University of Latvia.
Alma takes part in bat research since 2011, mostly in migratory and hibernating bat monitoring, as well as monitoring of pond bat maternity colonies.