Sky Hawk interview | Gill Lewis and Sacha Dench | Oxford Children's Books

TL;DR

Sasha Dench, a biologist and conservationist, embarks on daring paramotor journeys to raise awareness for bird conservation and inspire action.

Transcript

hello well it's my great pleasure to be able to talk with sasha dench today sasha is a biologist a conservationist and an adventurer she's known as the human swan for her amazing paramotor journey following the buick swans from the arctic to britain she is undertaking a record-breaking 3 000 mile round britain climate challenge drip in an electric ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🫵 Sasha's paramotor journeys offer a unique perspective from the bird's point of view, creating empathy and inspiring action.
• 👯 Engaging people through captivating stories and human connections is essential for successful conservation efforts.
• 🎁 The osprey's migratory route presents different challenges, including thermals and vast landscapes, requiring local assistance and adaptation.
• ✊ Jill's book Skyhawk celebrates the osprey's conservation success, highlighting the power of stories in raising awareness and empowering young people.
• 👻 Social media and educational programs will allow the public to follow Sasha's upcoming osprey journey and engage with communities along the route.
• 🐦 Conservation efforts require collective action and collaboration across cultures, industries, and languages to address threats to bird populations.
• 🥺 Sasha's previous paramotor expedition with Bewick's swans led to positive conservation outcomes and halted their declining population trend.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Sasha choose to raise awareness about bird conservation by flying alongside the birds?

Sasha recognized the need to engage different cultures, industries, and languages to address threats to bird populations. By sharing mind-blowing stories of bird migrations, she captures people's attention and inspires them to take action.

Q: What challenges does Sasha anticipate during the osprey journey, compared to her previous expeditions?

The osprey's migration route covers diverse landscapes and relies on thermals for altitude. Sasha expects turbulent thermals and difficulty finding sinking air for safe landings, especially in the vast Sahara Desert. Local assistance will be crucial.

Q: Why did Jill choose to write a book about ospreys?

Jill wanted to highlight the osprey's conservation success story, as their population recovered from near extinction. She also aimed to showcase the connections birds create between people across long distances, fostering mutual benefits and raising awareness.

Q: How have migratory birds helped bring people together in Sasha's experiences?

Sasha found that sharing stories about people taking action for bird conservation motivated others to contribute. Examples include volunteer bird counts, farmers adapting practices, and communities recognizing the importance of preserving bird habitats.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Sasha Dench is known as the "human swan" for her paramotor journey following the migration of Bewick's swans from the Arctic to Britain.

• She uses her paramotor expeditions to tell captivating stories about birds and their migrations, aiming to engage and inspire people to help in conservation efforts.

• Sasha is now planning a record-breaking journey as the "human osprey" to follow the migratory route of ospreys from Britain to Northwest Africa.