Editor’s note: In March 2024, Terry Townshend, a biodiversity (生物多样性) expert and wildlife protector, gave a speech at TEDxShanghai. He told the amazing story of the Beijing swift (雨燕), a bird that spends almost its whole life flying. In his talk, he showed how students and big companies can help protect nature. He encouraged everyone to care for wildlife and take action to make the world safer for all living things.