The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Project’s swift expansion
EFFORTS TO boost the swift population in Perth and Kinross have been given a helping hand.
The Carse of Gowrie Sustainability Group has secured extra funding from the SITA Tayside Biodiversity Action Fund to extend a popular initiative.
Over the next few months, the Carse of Gowrie Swift Conservation Project will continue its work to provide suitable homes for the birds.
This includes working with local schools to erect swift nesting boxes prior to the birds’ return to Scotland in May and to continue the successful Swift Twinning Project with pupils in Uganda and Malawi.
As the initiative continues to grow, project officer Daniele Muir is keen to get more people taking part, particularly churches in the Carse area.
She said: “It was a busy summer for the project and in this next phase, which involves giving free nest boxes to churches, we hope many congregations in the Carse will want to get involved.
“Church swift projects are common throughout the UK but here we are only just considering how best we can help swift populations expand.”
In a bid to make more communities aware of the efforts they can make to help the project, two events have been organised and will take place in the next few weeks.
On February 26, the Inchture Hotel will host an evening to celebrate the Carse of Gowrie swifts, which will include a film by the Junior Carsonians and a talk by a leading swift expert.
On March 8, a wildlife workshop will be held at Inchture Church from 10am until 12.30pm. This will feature illustrated talks by Tayside Swifts, Buglife Scotland, the Tayside Bat Group and the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, as well as an opportunity to learn more about the wildlife that lives in graveyards.
Tayside Biodiversity coordinator, Catherine Lloyd said: “The Tayside Green Graveyard Initiative has been running for six years and there have already been a number of successful projects across Perth and Kinross. The focus is really on how to help the wildlife that is already in a churchyard.”
For details, or to book a place at either event, email taysideswifts@yahoo.co.uk.