An illustrated talk by Edward Mayer of Swift Conservation

22 February 2018, 19.00 to 21.00 Lewisham Council Chambers – Booking via Eventbrite

This talk should be useful for planners, developers, architects, bird-watchers, nature lovers and anyone with an interest in how we live in our towns and cities

Swifts are our fastest bird in level flight, and by far the most acrobatic and exciting. They bring amazing aerial displays to even the grimmest city centre.

By encouraging and supporting this bird urban skies can be transformed, and in turn, urban biodiversity and its many benefits promoted. We urgently need to support and enhance urban biodiversity, not just for our own health, but also for the health of the planet.

Edward will show the reasons for the Swift’s decline plus what we can do to save it. Topics covered will include basic biology, habitat and nesting requirements, with examples of easy, cost effective nest place projects.

We have choices when creating urban environments and providing places to live, work and relax in. We can tackle many of the problems with the right motivation and vision, armed with research and examples, using our altruism, and resisting the pressure to “race to the bottom”.

“Green” estates and “leafy suburbs” are the places people want to live, where they are healthier and less of a burden on the NHS and other taxpayer-funded welfare services, and which hold their value, while the “concrete jungle” alternatives quickly decline and end up being demolished.

Starting with Swifts, Edward will run through the basics for providing a richer urban biodiversity, also showing examples of mistakes, “what not to do”, as well as examples of successful schemes.