14/08/16 - Swifts & schools

As mentioned in an earlier post, Cameron has been working hard on a new project involving the local communities, in particular school children, to celebrate the arrival of Swifts each summer, whilst giving them a helping hand along the way. The aim of the project is to get as many people as possible within Wheldrake to put up Swift boxes, due a recent decline in numbers as a result of a lack of nesting sites.

Following a successful meeting with the headmaster of the local school in Wheldrake, Cameron, assisted by Beki, spent a day at the school, starting with an assembly where the children were introduced to Natural England and the LDV. Following the assembly each year group took a turn in a variety of activities involving Swifts, Year 6 were given a selection of flags of countries that Swifts visit in the summer, the children then chose their favourite and copied the pattern on to a Swift-shaped piece of card which will be used to create a wall display. Year 5 had a go at painting boxes that had been specially built at the NNR base, and enjoyed cutting out and colouring in Swift templates. Year 4 designed flags which will be put out next year to celebrate the arrival of our returning birds, and Year 3 spent time bug hunting and learning about what Swifts feed on. Each session finished with a Swift quiz which proved very popular amongst the children.

 

The day was a fantastic success, and since then many parents have been in touch to ask for a nest box – so a massive thank you to Cameron for organising such a brilliant day for the children and really helping to engage them with nature. We are fortunate to work in such a diverse and unique habitat, so it really is important that people in the village enjoy it, and that the local children spend time connecting with nature.