Migratory birds are in sharp decline. We talk to pioneering conservationist Sacha Dench about her work to raise awareness of the threats facing these incredible creatures and efforts to create systems to protect them and their flyways. We talk about her recent expedition, the Flight of the Osprey, her recovery following the tragic accident on the Round Britain Climate Challenge and the future of her conservation work.
Our guest:
Sacha Dench is a world record breaking biologist and conservationist. As Ambassador, UN’s Convention on Migratory Species and CEO and founder of Conservation Without Borders, Sacha wants to change the narrative of the climate crisis to one of ambition, energy and enthusiasm for solutions.
In 2016 Sacha was named the ‘Human Swan’ for flying with wild Bewick’s swans on migration, in order to help scientists understand why so many were dying and rally mass support for people – from the nomads of the arctic tundra to the energy industry – to help. As the swan numbers began to increase for the first time in over 20 years, the expedition won ENDS Environmental Campaign of the Year.
Sacha was the first woman in over 50 years to be awarded the Britannia trophy for an outstanding feat of aviation and a Green Swan award for ‘making the seemingly impossible, virtually inevitable’.
The journey also gave her a unique birds-eye view on the world, our changing climate, and what motivates people. Losing her family home to the 2020 Australian bushfires gave her an infectious resolve.
Since the swan expedition she has flown an electric paramotor around the UK to bring voices from around the country to COP26, and has just returned from an expedition following the osprey on its migration between the UK and West Africa.
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