Category: News

Swift numbers are plummeting. The RSPB says it’s time to stand up for these beautiful birds and other threatened species before we lose them.

From the RSPB website: The arrival of Swifts marks the start of our summer, their calls raining down as they soar above at serious speed. Small yet mighty, these masters of the skies make one of nature’s most incredible journeys, each year flying from the savannahs and forests of Africa to the towns and cities of the UK, and back again – a round trip of at least 14,000 miles.

The hedgehog population has plummeted in the last 20 years, according to a survey by Hedgehog Street.

This is especially true for rural areas where numbers have fallen by up to three-quarters.

In towns and cities, hedgehog numbers are more stable, probably due to conservation efforts and the availability of gardens and green spaces.

From the Hedgehog Street website: A new conservation strategy has been created in response to trends highlighted in the report. To tackle this ongoing decline, we have worked collaboratively with over 30 stakeholders to create a topline, national strategy that can guide the change that’s desperately needed. Stakeholders include leading conservation NGOs, academics, educational institutions, hedgehog rehabilitators and organisations within the transport and farming sectors.

Find out more and read the brand new strategy HERE.

In 2025, Wild Welford was formed by three villagers to celebrate and protect green spaces and wildlife in and around the village.

We held a meeting for interested villagers, and we’re now busy setting up projects to monitor and record wildlife, help endangered hedgehogs and swifts, and provide information about climate change and wildlife.