How green is the green Deal?

An excellent article entitled “Swifts and the Green Deal” by journalist Cath Harris appeared in a recent issue of the magazine Bird Watching. Cath outlines the problems thrown up by the “Green Deal”, the latest government policy statement on action to reduce carbon emissions by insulating and sealing buildings where Swifts have their nesting cavities.

by Jake

Schwegler nest boxes installed to mitigate loss of nest sites elsewhere
Photo Devon Wildlife Trust

She goes on to highlight some of the nestboxing projects that have successfully mitigated the effects of current building regulations and practices. Among the success stories she quotes are the Worlington church initiative in Suffolk, as well as a number of schemes under the aegis of Edward Mayer's Swift-Conservation; and examples of local authority and county Wildlife Trust projects to help Swifts, such as the Fulbourn project in Cambridgeshire and the initiative in Exeter, where the City Council intends to install built-in Swift boxes in all suitable residential units. Cath Harris's article makes for heartening reading. You can find it HERE.