Please help our struggling Swifts by signing a new petition asking Welsh Government to incorporate swift bricks into all new developments in Wales. We hope to get 10,000 signatures to initiate a debate in the Senedd. Here’s the link to the petition: Legislate to ensure swift bricks are installed in all new buildings in Wales. – Petitions (senedd.wales).
This petition is calling for a simple, achievable step that could have a big positive impact, by guaranteeing spaces for Swifts and other hole-nesters in our future built landscape. Whilst extra nesting options for Swifts may not on their own be enough to reverse their decline (more work is urgently needed on protecting existing nest sites and halting insect decline), we believe ensuring swift provision in new developments is a necessary measure for any recovery to happen.
Please read the detail and sign if you agree. And if you can share the message and the link with anyone you think might be interested, but especially those who are Welsh residents, that would be great. If you are running any events or publicity around Swift Awareness Week this year (29th June – 7th July), please also try and give a mention to this campaign. It’d be great to get some momentum going.
We are really hoping that the petition can demonstrate widespread support for swift conservation in Wales, and that through any publicity generated we can talk about the challenges that swifts face – and how much joy they can bring to people on their doorsteps!
Through its Grants scheme, WOS has already supported three Swift conservation projects across Wales and Ben Stammers (North Wales Wildlife Trust) will be speaking at Conference on 16th November about these and community involvement.