Edward Mayer is the founder of the Swift Coservation Organisation, and a most entertaining and amusing speaker on the subject. Edward’s working career has been mostly in buildings and facilities management; he was Head of Gallery Management for the Tate Gallery in London from the opening of the Clore Gallery to the creation of Tate Modern.

Edward has loved Swifts since childhood. In the late 1990’s he noticed that the Swifts nesting in his local area were in decline. He realised that re-roofing of local properties was blocking Swifts from returning to their long-established nest sites. Surveys had shown that unless we take action now, and on a significant scale, within 20 years the Swift will become a rare bird in the UK. The solution he realised is both to create new nest places and properly protect existing ones, as well as providing and maintaining habitats more generally that provide them with vital support, principally by supporting their flying insect food and sources of water.

To create awareness of this, Edward set up Swift-conservation.org a web-based advice service celebrating Swifts, and showing what can be done to save them. Swift Conservation provides essential advice on urban biodiversity and urban habitat improvement to government, building professionals and the public.

Edward's enthusiasm for this practical work is outstanding and his knowledge seemingly limitless, but equally important for the lay person like myself is that he is also a superb communicator.

I cannot recommend this recording of his talk too highly, and hope to hear him again on wildlife conservation topics as well as environmental aspects of his professional interests.

Edward comes across as a devoted friend of planet earth in the spirit of David Attenborough, Jane Goodall and Greta Thunberg. A person to go to when you are in need of a little inspiration.