Swiftys for Swift
Published: 28/07/2025
By: Rob Whitaker
Thank you so much for getting in touch — I’ve been genuinely surprised - and thrilled - by how many people have shown interest. It’s made me even more excited to move this project forward.
As Swift developers, we build with a language named after one of nature’s most remarkable birds. With the next Swift release coming up soon, I thought this would be a great moment to give back to the birds that lent their name to our work— by raising awareness and funds for international bird conservation.
Nothing is set in stone yet, so I’m very open to ideas and input. Here’s my current plan for Swifts for Swift: A simple, elegant one-page website with information about swifts, why they matter, and what people can do to help— from planting wildflowers to putting up nest boxes.
A donation link to support an international conservation charity— I’m leaning toward BirdLife International, but open to suggestions. And possibly rotating charities with each Swift release.
A set of digital badges and assets that people can add to their apps, GitHub projects, or share on social media to show support and drive attention to the campaign.
Here’s where you could help, if you’re up for it:
- Contributing ideas to make this more impactful or unique
- Sharing any beautiful Swift bird photos we could use
- Helping design and build the website or create visual assets (badges, banners, etc.)
- Committing to use the badge in your own app or GitHub repo once it’s ready
There’s no pressure— anything you’re able to offer, even just a bit of feedback or a post on social media when we go live, would be hugely appreciated. With Swift’s next release just around the corner, we’ve got a few weeks to bring this to life and make a difference. Let me know what you’re interested in contributing— or if you’d like to be kept in the loop as things progress.
Drop me an email to rw@rwapp.co.uk
Thanks again,
Rob
