‘Human swan’ receives international award for work on migratory birds

A woman from Devon has been recognised with a special award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at the BAFTA, honouring her work to raise awareness of the plight of migratory birds. 

Sacha Dench, 48, originally from Australia, now living in Chagford, is known as the ‘human swan’, as she has replicated the migratory journeys of the Bewick’s swan, flying with them on migration. She wanted to understand the challenges these birds were facing as their populations were in decline and took to the skies to do so. This meant Sacha had to conquer her fear of turbulence in flight and learn to paramotor in challenging conditions.

During her endeavours, she passed over areas including the Russian Arctic tundra, the taiga forest and across the English Channel to the UK coastline, filming as she went.

She has recently also followed the migration of ospreys from Scotland to Guinea in West Africa, investigating both land and underwater challenges to these and other migratory birds.

While these expeditions gave Sacha an opportunity to learn more about the birds’ perils, it also gave her a platform to raise awareness through her organisation, Conservation Without Borders.

“It all started when I was flying on the same day we were tracking a swan called Hope flying over the channel, and I realised that with my new faster wing I was doing the same speed as her. It was a real lightbulb moment where I just thought, could I follow their entire migratory journey? That way I could see the world through their eyes, visit remote areas where there might be things we were missing, and speak to different people that they stop near on migration, to learn from them, and rally them to help us save them. I also knew that whatever we could do for the swan, might help a lot of other birds that use the same migration route,” Sacha said.

“I then spoke about the idea to a swan expert colleague. She said that the idea was completely bonkers, but so bonkers it might just work!” she added.

Sacha recalls how many people said that such a feat couldn’t be done, but all of the reasons they gave she could see a possible solution for.

“For the sake of the swans I was determined to make it work,” Sacha said.

Her journey began 4,000 miles away in the Arctic tundra, where reindeer herders and polar bears wandered. She was able to see the remote and isolated landscapes that the birds flew over. While the birds stopped off at wetlands to rest, Sacha would land at whatever nearby town or settlement she could see.

“Wherever I’d stop, people from all over would rush over to greet me, because I was probably the weirdest thing they’d seen for a long time. In that respect, it was a great way to engage with communities,” Sacha said.

Sacha also recently completed the Flight of the Osprey expedition, accompanying the osprey on the Autumn 2022 autumn migration. This time, she tracked the 10,000 km expedition from the UK to Africa.

Her next challenge will be a series of expeditions around the world, looking at why vultures are in such fast decline. Sacha explains that vultures are not always given the same level of attention as they are not widely perceived as being ‘cute’. However, they are vital to a healthy ecosystem – their loss has negative impacts for both biodiversity, human health, as well as economies. 

On winning the award, Sacha said: “I was shocked. It’s a fantastic feeling to be nominated to win this award, as there are so many amazing people out there working hard to save animals. I feel really honoured, and winning an award like this is a huge boost to our conservation efforts.”

Josey Sharrad, Wildlife Campaign Manager, IFAW said: “When I read about Sacha, I was amazed at her courageous, wild and innovative approach to understanding and raising awareness of species at risk. It’s easy to assume that wildlife will stay in their original habitats, but in reality, so many animals are migratory and every year, take on epic journeys - crossing borders, and even continents to survive. It’s hard to imagine what they must experience from the skies, but through Sacha’s lens, she has given the world a birds’ eye view. This is blue sky thinking in every sense – so a huge congratulations to her on winning one of IFAW’s Animal Action Awards!”