Swan Lifeline

Last updated
Swan Lifeline
Formation1986
FoundersTim Heron, Jane Castling, Ginny James
TypeCIO
PurposeRescue, rehabilitation and release of swans and wildfowl.
Location
Region served
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire
Key people
Trustees:
Dominic Smulders
Niki Molnar MBE
Cindy Smulders
Roopa D'Almeida
Natasha Zarach
Hayley Lloyd
Website https://swanlifeline.uk

Swan Lifeline is the oldest registered charity devoted entirely to the care of sick and injured swans in the Thames Valley and surrounding areas, [1] It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of swans and other non-alien waterfowl. Founded in 1986, [2] it has been actively involved in educating the public about the incidence and effects of pollution and human activities on swans and other wildfowl on the UK's rivers and waterways. [3]

Contents

Avian Flu

In January 2022, 26 swans at Swan Lifeline were culled by Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), overseen by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Four swans had already died from the disease and the culling was done to prevent spread. [4] A 3 km protection zone was set up around the site, which ended on 21 April 2022 after 109 days. [5] [6]

Mission and Activities

Swan Lifeline mission is to create a better, healthier and safer environment for swans and general wildlife in the UK. [7]

The charity provides training in swan-handling to the Thames Valley Police, Fire and Rescue Services and Network Rail, as well as providing work-experience and training for students at the Berkshire College of Agriculture and the Royal Veterinary College. [8]

Impact

Swan Lifeline started a campaign in the 1980s to successfully ban the use of lead weights used by anglers. [9] Lead poisoning leads to botulism in swans. [10]

Swan Lifeline works with the Marker of the Swans, the British Trust for Ornithology, the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology and the Crown's Warden of the Swans - Chris Perrins LVO FRS. Swan Lifeline was the primary statistical source for Perrin's (et al) paper on The Impact of Lost and Discarded Fishing Line and Tackle on Mute Swans (2002) [11]

Notable rescues include a swan that landed on the roof of the number 19a Little Orange bus in Reading, Berkshire on 17 February 2023. [12] [13]

Controversies

In 2018, the pet food brand Wild Things teamed up with Swan Lifeline and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust to keep bread away from all ponds and lakes. [14] The 'Ban the Bread' campaign was developed to encourage the public to look after their local wildlife responsibly and educate them on healthier alternatives available. [15]

Swan Lifeline ceased their association with the Wild Things' campaign and now advises that the public should feed swans bread, but in moderation. [16] The WWT also now advises to feed bread in limited situations. [17]

Patrons

Notable patrons have included:

Governance and Funding

The charity is governed by a board of trustees. It is entirely funded by donations and grants.

Awards and recognition

In November 2023, one of its trustees and volunteers - Cindy Smulders - won two awards at the #OneSlough Awards: The first for Supporting Children and Young People; and the second for Making a Difference to the Environment. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slough</span> Town in Berkshire, England

Slough is a town in Berkshire, England, in the Thames Valley 20 miles (32 km) west of central London and 19 miles (31 km) north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4, M40 and M25 motorways. It is part of the historic county of Buckinghamshire. In 2021 Census, the population of the town was 143,184. In 2021, the wider Borough of Slough had a population of 158,500. Slough borders the ceremonial counties of Greater London and Buckinghamshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire</span> County of England

The Royal County of Berkshire, commonly known as simply Berkshire, is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London to the east, Surrey to the south-east, Hampshire to the south, and Wiltshire to the west. Reading is the largest settlement and the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust</span> Charity in the United Kingdom

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is an international wildfowl and wetland conservation charity in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWT Martin Mere</span> Nature reserve in the United Kingdom

WWT Martin Mere is a wetland nature reserve and wildfowl collection managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Tarlscough, Burscough, Lancashire, England, on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain, 6 miles (10 km) from Ormskirk and 10 miles (16 km) from Southport (Merseyside). It is one of ten reserves managed by the charity, and it is designated an SSSI, an SPA and a Ramsar Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWT Slimbridge</span> Wetland nature reserve in Gloucestershire

WWT Slimbridge is a wetland wildlife reserve near Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, England. It is midway between Bristol and Gloucester on the eastern side of the estuary of the River Severn. The reserve, set up by the artist and naturalist Sir Peter Scott, opened in November 1946. Scott subsequently founded the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, which has since opened nine other reserves around the country. Slimbridge comprises some 800 hectares of pasture, reed bed, lagoon and salt marsh. Many water birds live there all year round, and others are migrants on their ways to and from their summer breeding grounds. Other birds overwinter, including large numbers of white-fronted geese and increasing numbers of Bewick's swans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maidenhead</span> Market town in England

Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. In the 2021 Census, it had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Buckinghamshire. The town is situated 27 miles (43 km) west of Charing Cross, London and 13 miles (21 km) east-northeast of the county town of Reading. The town differs from the Parliamentary constituency of Maidenhead, which includes a number of outer suburbs and villages, including villages which form part of the Borough of Wokingham such as Twyford, Charvil, Remenham, Ruscombe and Wargrave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whooper swan</span> Species of bird

The whooper swan, also known as the common swan, is a large northern hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American trumpeter swan, and the type species for the genus Cygnus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eton, Berkshire</span> Town in Berkshire, England

Eton is a town in Berkshire, England, on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The civil parish, which also includes the village of Eton Wick two miles west of the town, had a population of 4,692 at the 2011 Census. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Buckinghamshire, in 1974 it came under the administration of Berkshire following the Local Government Act 1972; since 1998 it has been part of the unitary authority of Windsor and Maidenhead. The town is best known as the location of Eton College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trumpeter swan</span> Species of bird

The trumpeter swan is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 304.8 cm. It is the American counterpart and a close relative of the whooper swan of Eurasia, and even has been considered the same species by some authorities. By 1933, fewer than 70 wild trumpeters were known to exist, and extinction seemed imminent, until aerial surveys discovered a Pacific population of several thousand trumpeters around Alaska's Copper River. Careful reintroductions by wildlife agencies and the Trumpeter Swan Society gradually restored the North American wild population to over 46,000 birds by 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading Buses</span> British municipal bus operator

Reading Transport Limited, trading as Reading Buses, is an English municipal bus operator owned by Reading Borough Council, serving the towns of Reading, Bracknell, Newbury, Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead, Wokingham and the surrounding areas in the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Hampshire, as well as parts of Greater London.

Christopher Miles Perrins, is Emeritus Fellow of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology at the University of Oxford, Emeritus Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford and His Majesty's Warden of the Swans since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service</span> Fire and rescue service in southern England

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is a statutory fire and rescue service covering the area of the ceremonial county of Berkshire in England. The fire service was formerly administered by Berkshire County Council, but when that was abolished the service became the responsibility of the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority, made up of representatives from the six unitary authorities of Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Reading Borough Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Slough Borough Council, West Berkshire Council, and Wokingham Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire College of Agriculture</span>

Berkshire College of Agriculture is a further education agricultural college at Hall Place in Burchetts Green, Maidenhead, Berkshire. It was founded in 1949, as the Berkshire Institute of Agriculture. It has been part of the Windsor Forest Colleges Group since August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Beeline</span> Bus operator in the United Kingdom

First Beeline Buses Limited, trading as First Beeline, is a bus operator providing services in and around Slough. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mute swan</span> Species of bird

The mute swan is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurasia, and the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to the largest populations outside of its native range, with additional smaller introductions in Australasia and southern Africa. The name "mute" derives from it being less vocal than other swan species. Measuring 125 to 160 cm in length, this large swan is wholly white in plumage with an orange beak bordered with black. It is recognisable by its pronounced knob atop the beak, which is larger in males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire Music Trust</span> British music education organization

The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust is a music education charity operating in Berkshire, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thames Valley Buses</span> British bus company

Thames Valley Buses Limited, trading as Thames Valley Buses, is a bus company based in Bracknell, England. It was known as Courtney Buses until 2021. Founded in 1973, the company operates a network of commercial and contracted local bus services and school buses in Berkshire, north Hampshire and small parts of Oxfordshire, Surrey and Buckinghamshire. In March 2019 it was purchased by Reading Buses, with the company having gradually rebranded to its current name between October 2019 and April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swan Sanctuary, Shepperton</span>

The Swan Sanctuary, Shepperton is a wildlife hospital dedicated to the treatment, care and rehabilitation of swans and wildfowl in the UK and is situated close to the village of Shepperton in area of Middlesex, England. The Swan Sanctuary is registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as Veterinary Premises No. 7002114 – Sally Goulden, B. Vet. Med., Cert. G.P. (SAM), MRCVS

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkshire bus routes 701, 702 and 703</span> Bus routes running between Reading, Windsor, Bracknell and London

Windsor Express are bus routes that run between Reading, Windsor, Bracknell and London.

References

  1. "About Us". Swan Lifeline. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  2. "Charity dedicated to saving swans marks 30 year anniversary". Maidenhead Advertiser. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  3. "About Us". Swan Lifeline. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  4. "Bird flu: Windsor swans culled as England outbreak spreads". BBC. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  5. "Windsor new bird flu control zone means new rules for feeding the Queen's swans". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  6. "Avian Influenza Outbreak Update". Swan Lifeline. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  7. "Conservation Efforts". Swan Lifeline. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  8. "About Us". Swan Lifeline. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  9. "Treatments". Swan Lifeline. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  10. "Regulation of lead fishing weights results in mute swan population recovery". ScienceDirect. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  11. C Perrins, P Martin, B Broughton (2002). "The Impact of Lost and Discarded Fishing Line and Tackle on Mute Swans" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. "Reading bus out of action after swan lands on roof BBC". BBC. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  13. "Photo emerges of swan on Reading bus that led to cancelled service". BerkshireLive. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  14. "Ban the Bread leaflet". Nicola J Murphy. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  15. "Have You Stopped Feeding Bread To The Swans?". Essential Surrey & SW London. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  16. "Feeding Swans & Cygnets". Swan Lifeline. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  17. "Feeding Bread to Ducks and Swans". WWT. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  18. "List of Charities George Michael Supported". GMForever.com. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  19. "Charity dedicated to saving swans marks 30 year anniversary". Maidenhead Advertiser. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
  20. "OneSlough Awards Celebrate Outstanding Work of Volunteers". Slough & S Berks Express. Retrieved 2023-11-22.