Community Engagement and Communications Officer (Derbyshire Dales Swift Project)
Derbyshire Swift Conservation
Community Engagement and Communications Officer (employee or freelance contractor) (Derbyshire Dales Swift Project)
Swifts are declining by approximately 5% a year and their numbers have more than halved in the UK in the last 30 years, placing them on the red list of birds of conservation concern. Swifts nest primarily within the structure of buildings by accessing safe spaces within the building fabric through holes and gaps in the exterior of the building. Often these holes and gaps are a result of decay, repeated temperature and/or humidity and general deterioration. When buildings are repaired or renovated these gaps are often blocked as materials are replaced and this is the main driver of the fall in Swift numbers as such works prevent access to their nests.
Identifying the location of Swift colonies allows us to work with property owners to protect these colonies as well as provide supplementary nest boxes in these areas. We have a poor understanding of Swift populations in over 85% of the settlements in the Derbyshire Dales and this represents a huge logistical challenge if we are to conserve this species. This role is intended to help fill this knowledge gap.
Working closely with the Project Co-ordinator of the Derbyshire Dales Swift Project, you will be responsible for planning, publicising and delivering a programme of public engagement activities in different locations across the Derbyshire Dales, all designed to get each community truly committed and invested in conserving these amazing birds. Recognising the Heritage Fund for their support in all communications, media content and digital outputs is important.
About Derbyshire Swift Conservation
Derbyshire Swift Conservation was formed in response to the massive decline of this iconic bird across Derbyshire and the UK as a whole.
There is evidence to suggest that loss of nest sites is the predominant factor driving the loss of our breeding Swifts and we are working to address this in two ways.
- Firstly, to identify the location of existing nest sites and then ensure they are protected.
- Secondly, to supplement natural sites with artificial nest sites in the form of Swift bricks or boxes, so providing an ever-increasing supply of suitable nest sites for our Swifts on existing and new buildings.
Our Objectives
To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation of the Common Swift in Derbyshire by raising general awareness of the declining status of this species, identifying and protecting existing nest sites and by encouraging the provision of additional nest sites across the county.
Derbyshire Swift Conservation was formed in response to the massive decline of this iconic bird across Derbyshire and the UK as a whole. There is evidence to suggest that loss of nest sites is the predominant factor driving the loss of our breeding Swifts and we are working to address this in two ways. Firstly, to identify the location of existing nest sites and then ensure they are protected. Secondly, to supplement natural sites with artificial nest sites in the form of Swift bricks or boxes, so providing an ever-increasing supply of suitable nest sites for our Swifts on existing and new buildings. Our Objectives To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation of the Common Swift in Derbyshire by raising general awareness of the declining status of this species, identifying and protecting existing nest sites and by encouraging the provision of additional nest sites across the county.
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