A Celebration of Swifts

Saturday 6 April 2024, 12 – 3.30pm (including interval)

Guest speakers: Edward Mayer, Jonathan Pomroy, Ben Porter, and Elfyn Pugh

• Dyfi Biosphere Swift Project with Ben Porter, award-winning wildlife photographer

• A fascinating talk and an inspirational bird sketching and painting session by renowned wildlife and landscape artist Jonathan Pomroy

• Machynlleth Co-op Store Swift Box Project Launch: The Project is a showcase for the conservation of swifts in mid Wales

• A vivid and exciting talk on swifts by Edward Mayer one of Europe’s leading experts on these iconic birds of summer

• Q&A session with Edward, Jonathan, Ben and Elfyn

Free Admission

Collection in aid of the Dyfi Biosphere Swift Project

 

Edward Mayer

Edward first became fascinated by Swifts at the age of six when he saw these amazing birds flying above his home in Southampton. He has been in love with them ever since.In 2003 he pioneered an approach to preserving the future of the Swift (The Common Swift: Apus apus) through advice, talks and the encouragement of widespread volunteer action. He studied the efforts of Swift experts in Germany, and began his work by creating “London’s Swifts” an internet- based advice service focusing on how to preserve existing nest sites and create new provision.

It was such a success that the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds asked him to make it a national service and “Swift Conservation” was born. It soon started to receive appeals for help from enthusiasts in Europe, so Edward widened its scope to cover Europe too.

Jonathan Pomroy

Wildlife and landscape artist Jonathan Pomroy lives on the edge of the North York Moors. He has a studio, which is open by appointment, at Gilling East, North Yorkshire and also sells paintings from his online shop. All his paintings are composed from sketches and observations made in the field in all winds and weather. He derives great inspiration working in North Yorkshire, a county which offers a wide variety of habitat and landscape; one day could find him sketching ring ouzels on the moors, the next puffins at Bempton Cliffs! Other regular sketching locations are North Norfolk, the Somerset Levels, the Yorkshire Dales and the far North of Scotland.

Ben Porter

Ben Porter is an award-winning wildlife photographer, ecologist and researcher from the windswept island of Ynys Enlli in North Wales. He is currently working for the RSPB on a landscape-scale restoration project in mid-Wales. Ben has spent time working on far-flung islands, wildlife surveying, freelance photography and guiding. His is particularly passionate about science communication and engaging people with the wonders of the natural world.

Elfyn Pugh

Elfyn Pugh has been keen on wildlife since childhood and spent his working career as a police officer serving in Machynlleth and Aberystwyth. Since his retirement 20 years ago he has been very active in the field of marine conservation. He has a particular passion for seabirds and cetaceans, and he has travelled extensively in search of these animals including remote regions such as Antarctica and the Arctic. He is an active marine mammal surveyor, a wildlife guide and is on the board of trustees of one of Europe’s leading marine conservation charities. Elfyn’s deep love of swifts extends from his childhood as they nested at his home in mid Wales. He is an active volunteer on the Dyfi Biosphere Swift Project and since its inception he has helped to instal over 200 swift boxes on properties within the biosphere area.