A NEW sculpture has been created to welcome the return of the swifts to Worcester.
‘Swift Drift’ has been created for The Worcester Plinth by artist Juliet Mootz alongside Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.
It will be displayed on the riverside for around eight weeks before moving to new homes around Worcester where communities will pack cut wildflower meadow grass between the woven willows.
The sculptures will gradually be reclaimed into the earth and wildflowers will grow.
The artwork is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund through Worcester City Council. This is the sixth sculpture to be commissioned and displayed on The Worcester Plinth.
Juliet Mootz said: “Swifts travel 14,000 miles to spend their summers with us but their numbers are plummeting.
“However, we can all help them.
“Those in Worcester have been putting up swift boxes to give them space to breed and are planting flowers to support the insects that they need to eat.
“Made from willow, the swift sculptures will enable us to develop conversations about the importance of ensuring we protect and enhance the whole food chain that keep these remarkable birds returning to the city.
“Worcestershire Wildlife Trust asked me to find a way to reflect the importance of swifts to our environment.”
