Not So Fun Facts For Kids

July 12, 2022

My teenage daughter and I usually spend Sunday afternoons volunteering at "Rosamund Community Garden" in Guildford. Not only has this been a lovely way to be together and contribute, it has also led to lots of unexpected adventures.

For example, I'm now involved with teaching the team how to use social media and supporting them with community engagement. I've also been connected to a lady called Sarah Davies, who leads "The Swift Project", and I'll be helping her to spread the word about ways we can support these amazing and sadly "red listed" birds.

For starters, here's some FUN FACTS about Swifts you may like to share with your children⤵️

⚡️Swifts can travel up to 70mph 😮

⚡️They spend most of their time airborne 💨

⚡️Travel an exhausting 5,500 from Africa to the East and South East of England, and 5,500 km back

⚡️ Every year, they return to the same mate and nest to breed 🪺

⚡️They spend their winters in Africa 🌍

😢NOT SO FUN FACTS⤵️

⚡️The British Trust for Ornithology suggests swift numbers are down by 57%, attributing heat waves affecting their migration, a decline in insect numbers, pesticide overuse and nests being blocked or demolished by human interference.

There's a photo of one below which is nesting in Sarah's eaves, she writes :

"This is a breeding adult, leaving the nest with some nesting mess and old unwanted insects probably, in its beak, that is a breeding adult, leaving the nest with some nesting mess and old unwanted insects probably, in its beak, having just flown into the nest with a big bolus full of insects to feed we believe 2 chicks. The babies inside my nest, well how do i know there are 2, without a camera, well when the current 6 Swifts do there fast screaming parties 🥳 past my house , you can hear 2 Swift chicks calling back from the nest box. 😉

The babies inside are not strong enough yet to come to the entrance hole and peep out, but in this hot weather they can sometimes move to the edge to get air, and fall out, depending on design of box, which is why i am not keen on the entrance hole underneath the box. If they fall out, they are then grounded and can not fly, so need rescuing and taken to a Swift Specialist, so this time of year now is busy with Swifts falling out of nests. Or exhausted adults that are dehydrated if they can not get water, a complex problem all to do with not having choice where they nest now and so may have to travel further to find a river or lake to drink from etc. So despite living most of the time in a hot country, our hotter summers are becoming a challenge for them , for they come here to have it slightly cooler to breed and raise young

For more information on having a swift box installed, please contact [email protected].

An eye-catching new swift nesting tower has been erected in the Surrey Hills on Shalford Common to protect one of Britain’s most remarkable and endangered bird species who frequently choose to nest there. Read on...

🔥Creative Nudge

The rate of change in the world demands that we re-imagine and restructure the foundational learning relationship among students, teachers, and knowledge. In September 2012, pursuing a decades-long passion for transformational education, Grant packed up his Prius and set off on a solo, nationwide research tour to discover what schools are doing to prepare students for an evolving future. WATCH HERE

And Finally 🔚

The organisers of Britain's biggest ever survey of household plastic waste have called for immediate action to tackle what they say are "jaw-dropping" findings.

📣A Bit More Finally

will be at Burpham Wellfest this Sunday 17th July from 10am to 6pm Sutherland Park, Guildford UK

"A Festival of Wellbeing for the Community of Burpham. Fitness, Nutrition, Food, Therapies, Art, Music, Charities and more organised by Burpham Wellbeing" via @resilient_kids on Twitter

Thank you for being here.

Hi I'm Jane and I set up Resilient Kids to help bolster kids' VISION, VITALITY & VOICE. I'm on a mission to connect with others who want to do the same. JOIN ME

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