“If you take care of birds, you take care of most of the environmental problems in the world.”
The words of Thomas Lovejoy, eminent biologist and inventor of the term “biodiversity”, perfectly describe why Sacha Dench has soared with swans and now plans to fly with ospreys. In this episode in our ‘Environmental Changemakers” series, Amanda finds out what has inspired Sacha to strap herself to her paramotor and take on the challenge of a 7000km expedition accompanying the osprey on its 2020 autumn migration across Europe and Africa.
Our guest:
Sacha Dench is a conservationist, adventurer and motivational speaker.
She has spoken to audiences from school groups to a president, and recent awards include the 2018 Britannia Trophy for the most meritorious performance in aviation (previously awarded to Sir Richard Branson and the Red Arrows and not won by a woman since 1967), a Woman of the Year 2017 and the Environment Campaign of the Year 2017 among others. She also holds the record for the First Channel Crossing by Paramotor for a woman.
Her recent groundbreaking expedition ‘Flight of the Swans’ saw her flying by paramotor from Arctic Russia across 11 countries to the UK to help save the Bewick’s swan, and has won her and her team awards for aviation, conservation and communication.
Read more here
Flight of the Osprey Project is an innovative airborne conservation project in collaboration with UN agencies, scientists, media and governments. Accompanying the osprey on its 2020 autumn migration across Europe and Africa, this 7000 km paramotor expedition will gather vital data on the threats faced by this iconic bird of prey and other migratory species. At the same time we will create a unique platform from which to engage, educate and empower communities along the flyway and further afield, promoting a deeper understanding of the challenges to migratory birds, both within and beyond the conservation community. A journey across rising seas and vast deserts, diving into the hidden world underwater and battling frequent storms, the team will show in a dramatic and tangible way, the catastrophic effects of a changing climate and other human impacts on our wildlife, their habitats and people that live along the flyway. This bold and pioneering initiative, offering a true bird’s-eye perspective of trans-continental species migration, promises to ignite new initiatives and leave the public inspired and empowered about the global conservation impact of local efforts.
Flight of the Osprey is a Conservation Without Borders project.
Read more here