Sacha Dench

Sacha Dench is an Australian biologist, conservationist and adventurer.[1] In 2016, she set a Guinness World Record as the first woman to cross the English Channel by paramotor.[2] She is the recipient of the Britannia Trophy and winner of the Green Swan Award.[3]

Career


In 2016, Dench flew 7000 kilometres across 11 countries in a paramotor, for the purpose of tracking the migrating Bewick's swan from the Russian Arctic to the UK. During that time, she was working as a biologist for Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.[4]

She is the co-founder and CEO of Conservation Without Borders and, in 2020,[5] became a UN Ambassador for Migratory Species.[4][6]

In October 2018, she gave a TED talk entitled "The Human Swan" about finding your own passion.[7] In February 2020, she gave a similar talk to the Scientific Exploration Society.[8]

Her career as a biologist focused mainly on marine turtles, and she won the Australian free diving championship while diving for her work.[9]

In June 2021, it was announced that Dench would be making a 3,000-mile (4,800 km), using a battery-powered adapted paramotor, to mark the COP26 UN climate conference.[10] The journey was to start in near Glasgow on 21 June and take approximately six weeks to complete.[11] July saw Dench flying above Cumbria before heading towards the coast of Wales, having received the support, amongst others, of actress Joanna Lumley.

On 20 September 2021, Dench was seriously injured in a crash in the Scottish Highlands, which was caused by two paramotors colliding. The pilot of the other aircraft, a cameraman, was killed.[12]

Following a long recovery period due to the extent of her injuries, in 2022 Dench began the Flight of Osprey Expedition. This was an innovative conservation project in collaboration with UN agencies, scientists, media and governments. Accompanying the osprey on its 2022 autumn migration from the UK to Guinea to gather vital data on the threats faced by this iconic bird of prey and other migratory species. The expedition was covered by BBC Radio 2 in a 10 week series.

Media

Dench's biology research and travel has been covered by the BBC, The Guardian and Radio 4.[13][14] Her work has also been covered by National Geographic.[15]

Awards
  • 2018 - Britannia Trophy for Flight of the Swans. Not received by a woman since 1967.[16]
  • 2001 - British National Depth record for freediving - World Freediving Champtionships.[17]
  • 2023 - judging panel for 2023 Shackleton medal.[18]

References
  1. Odell, Michael. "Sacha Dench: the woman who flies with swans". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  2. ""Human Swan" Sacha Dench sets record crossing the English Channel". Guinness World Records. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  3. "Sacha Dench in Round Britain Guinness World Record Climate Challenge by electric paramotor". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2 December 2020..
  4. Turns, Anna (3 July 2020). "'Human swan' to take flight on new mission to follow migrating ospreys". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  5. Nick (24 February 2020). "WEM19 Speaker Sacha Dench Appointed as UN Ambassador for Migratory Species". worldextrememedicine.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  6. "Sacha Dench Appointed as CMS Ambassador at COP13 | Raptors". www.cms.int. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  7. Dench, Sacha, The human swan, retrieved 2 December 2020
  8. "SES Explorer Talk: Sacha Dench - The Human Swan". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  9. "Flying with swans: Conservationist Sacha Dench". RNZ. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  10. Media, P. A. (18 June 2021). "'Human swan' to make 3,000-mile UK flight to raise climate awareness". the Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  11. Howie, Michael (18 June 2021). "'Human swan' set to fly around mainland Britain". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  12. "Conservationist injured and cameraman killed in air crash". BBC News. 20 September 2021.
  13. "SHACKLETON MEDAL // MEET SACHA DENCH". Shackleton. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  14. "British film stars lead support for first ever lone female expedition to save Europe's smallest swans". Birding24/7. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  15. @NatGeoUK (23 August 2022). "Meet the adventurer: 'human swan' Sacha Dench on tracing bird migration paths from Siberia to South Africa". National Geographic. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  16. "WWT's Sacha Dench receives Britannia Trophy for Flight of the Swans". WWT. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  17. Sparreboom, Vincent (22 December 2015). "Champion Freediver and Conservationst Sacha Dench is going on a 7,242km Journey". Freedive Academy Panglao. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  18. "Shackleton Medal 2023 | For the Protection of the Polar Regions". Shackleton. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
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