Survival of the swift in north Powys project begins
A NEW project called 'Screams and Streams' is investigating the relationship between river water quality and the survival of the common swift in northern Powys.
It is being led by community groups with support from the Dyfi Biosphere and academic mentors.
The project, which runs for four months over the summer, is funded by the Local Policy Innovation Partnerships (LPIPs) project in which Aberystwyth University is a partner.
'Screams and Streams aims to bridge the gap between academic research, communities and policy makers,' explains James Cass, from the Dyfi Biosphere.
'We are pleased to be working with groups from the community and building new relationships between Lab Dŵr Dyffryn Dyfi and Dyfi Swifts, as well as the New Dovey Fishery Association.'
Volunteers will be performing regular water tests at 10 set points along the river as well as monitoring swifts across the Dyfi catchment.
They will be asking the research question: 'Is there a clear relationship between river health and common swift survival?'
The project kicked off with a training evening at the Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth on May 20, with over 25 enthusiastic individuals.
Conservationist Ben Porter spoke about the impressive annual migration of the common swift, how to identify them, and why they are threatened.
The project will be estimating populations, studying their feeding behaviours and see what use they are making of nest boxes.
Jenny Lampard, of Lab Dŵr Dyffryn Dyfi, then gave a demonstration of water testing before a hands-on session where participants practised using equipment and recording data.
The event wrapped up with a trip to Ceinws, where the group grabbed a drink and got to watch the local swift population at sunset.
'We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to get involved with the project, whether you're interested in water testing or swifts,' said Bryn Hall, project coordinator.
'We'll give you training and you'll be making an important contribution to our knowledge of wildlife in the biosphere.'
Bryn can be contacted on bryn@biosfferdyfi.cymru.
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