Tavernspite School Leads the Way with New Swift Nesting Project
Tavernspite School is taking an exciting step towards supporting one of Britain’s most remarkable and increasingly threatened birds, with the installation of new swift nest boxes and a specialist call system at the school, the first school in Pembrokeshire to engage in such a scheme.
The project has been completed by the school in partnership with Jack Gradidge, Conservation Officer from Folly Farm, who has been instrumental in helping to install the swift nest boxes and call system. The initiative is designed to encourage swifts to nest at the school and provide pupils with the opportunity to learn more about these fascinating birds and the importance of protecting local wildlife.
Swifts are remarkable long-distance migrants, travelling thousands of miles between Africa and the UK each year. However, their numbers have declined significantly, with the loss of suitable nesting sites being one of the factors affecting their populations.
The new nest box at Tavernspite School provide specially designed spaces where swifts can potentially establish nesting sites. The accompanying call system plays recordings of swift calls to help attract birds to the boxes and encourage them to investigate the new nesting opportunities.
The school believes the project could be something of a first, with Jack Gradidge of Folly Farm, keen to encourage other schools to consider installing similar facilities and become involved in supporting swift conservation.
Jack has also visited Tavernspite School to speak to pupils in assembly about the project, explaining how the boxes and call system work and why providing nesting sites for swifts is so important. “We’re so excited to have assisted Tavernspite School with their conservation project. Swifts, house martins and swallows need all the help they can get.
Our own swift tower, The ‘Hafod yr Adar’ project, is already in place at Folly Farm and it’s wonderful to know it’s already inspiring others to make room for these birds by installing nest boxes of their own. It just goes to show that we can all do our bit to help these birds that have lived alongside us for hundreds of years”.
(Jack Gradidge, Folly Farm’s Conservation Officer)
For the pupils, the project provides a wonderful opportunity to connect classroom learning with the natural world around them. They will be able to follow the progress of the nest boxes and, hopefully, watch as swifts begin to investigate and eventually make the school their home.
The project has also received generous support from Folly Farm, who donated the swift nest box. The school is delighted to acknowledge and thank Folly Farm for its contribution to this exciting environmental project.
Headteacher, Sarah Arthur said:
“We are incredibly excited to have our new swift nest boxes and call system in place. This is a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to learn about the natural world and to play an active role in supporting wildlife.”
She added:
“We are particularly grateful to Folly Farm for donating the nest box and for helping us to make this project possible. We hope that our pupils will enjoy following the progress of the boxes and learning more about swifts and the challenges they face.”
The school also hopes that its initiative will inspire other schools in Pembrokeshire and beyond to consider what they can do to support local wildlife.
“If we can encourage other schools to do something similar, then the impact could be even greater,” said Sarah. “It is wonderful for our children to see that a relatively small project can make a real difference, and that they can be part of protecting wildlife for future generations.”
With the boxes now installed and the call system operational, the school community will be keeping a keen eye on the skies in the hope that its new feathered visitors will soon arrive.
For Tavernspite pupils, the wait to see their first swift take up residence promises to be an exciting one — and perhaps the beginning of a new tradition for the school and its wider community.
Tavernspite School would like to extend its sincere thanks to Folly Farm for its generous donation and to everyone involved in bringing this exciting project to life.