Oli Aylen, PhD student at the University of New South Wales, is researching the benefits of fenced conservation areas for bats. Oli’s research will explore whether bats, like their ground-dwelling counterparts, benefit from fenced conservation areas. By using bioacoustic arrays, DNA analysis (to investigate whether feral cats prey on bats in the arid zone), tracking bats to roosts, and conducting vegetation assessments, Oli’s aim is to uncover how bats interact with these reserves.