Build a Swift Nest Box Workshop
February 14th from 2 - 4 pm via Zoom
£20 Suggested Donation*

*Proceeds from this event will be used to fund our community outreach programmes like our Tools for Life Programme that provides expert advice, practical workshops, and employment support to young trainees who are currently facing barriers to employment or Nailing It! a project that introduces small cohorts of women to woodworking as a way to build confidence while learning new skills.*

Looking for a way to show you care this Valentine’s Day? Join us for an afternoon of making to celebrate National Nestbox Week! Whether getting crafty with your cutie or learning a new skill that says “I love you, nature!”, this online swift nest box building workshop is sure to warm your heart! You can make a nest box for the swifts near you or donate it to the RSPB to put up in areas where they are needed.

In local folklore, swifts are a sign of hope and summer’s return. They return after 10 months of nonstop flight, all the way to Malawi and back, to mark the return of summer's brightness after a long hard winter.

Swifts (Apus apus) have been around since the Trex went extinct. Yet, in the last 25 years their population has reduced nearly 60%. There are simple things we can do, literally right on our doorstep, to protect and enhance the population of this wonderful bird. Katie will also talk about the Edinburgh Swift Cities Project funded by ScottishPower Foundation.

The workshop will kick off with Swift City Project Officer, Katie O’Neill, sharing insights into the wonderfully rich world of swifts here in Edinburgh and ways we can support their population. Then Alice, our workshop manager, will guide you through putting your nest box together and answer any questions you may have about basic woodworking.
We’ll be recording the class to share with you after so if you’d like to just watch the first time around, you’ll have that to refer to when you’re ready to get making!

Because of the nature of the workshop, we can not provide materials, but the RSPB has a helpful material list and nest box plan online you can find here and we have a breakdown below.
Looking for wood? Pallets are a great material for re-use and can be found all over town for free or you can reach out to Move On Wood Recycling to see what they have in stock.

In need of tools? Reach out to ETL and we’ll help you sort it out!
There is more information about materials and prepping your wood below and you’re welcome to reach out to alice@edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk if you have any questions while you’re getting set-up!

Prepping Your Nest Box Materials
If you’d like to make your nestbox during the workshop, please have your wood prepped and your making materials ready. We’ll be doing some basic cuts together, but your wood should be cut down to size as much as possible.

Note: the dimensions shown are for 15mm thick wood. If your wood is different to that, the dimensions of the side pieces should be 150mm by 150mm minus 2 x thickness of wood you are using, eg if you're using 18mm wood it would be 150mm x 114mm.

Material List For Building Your Nest Box
A sheet of exterior FSC (from a sustainable source) plywood, 1.8m long x 15cm wide x 1.2-1.8cm thick and not pressure treated OR other bird-safe wood such as pine, that covers the pieces needed in the image below. Pallets are a great material for re-use and can be found all over town for free!
1 x Saw
20 x Nails and/or
20 x Screw
1 x Drill & Bits

Material List Installing Your Nest Box
4 x Screws
1x Tall ladder
1 x Drill & Bits
4 x Rawlplugs

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