Sacha Dench has earned the name of The Human Swan after flying 7000km by paramotor from Arctic Russia across 11 countries to the UK to help save the Bewick’s swan. This conservationist, adventurer and motivational speaker is visiting Edinburgh ahead of her talk as part of Edinburgh Science Festival (ESF) 2021.
Dench visited Edinburgh to film her talk In Conversation with Sacha Dench for the upcoming ESF that will take place digitally at 7.30pm on 3 July and is the first event to be announced as part of this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival. As the Glasgow COP26 approaches, the event signals the ESF’s strong focus on climate crisis and other challenges our planet is facing. Her famous Flight of the Swanssaw her braving thunderstorms and polar bears and won her and her team ENDS Environmental Campaign of the Year and helped end the 20 year species decline.
She is UN Ambassador for Migratory Species, founder of Conservation Without Borders as well as volunteer group Eco Divers, a recipient of the coveted Britannia Trophy (2018, not won by a woman since 1967), a Woman of the Year 2017 – joining a line-up of inspirational women including Professor Mary Beard and actor Nicole Kidman – and she also holds the record for the First Channel Crossing by Paramotor for a woman. She is also an experienced free diver and a cave diver who has beaten the world record for breath hold in a training session.
In 2020, Dench’s Conservation without Borders launched Round Britain Climate Challenge, a high-profile and high-impact climate crisis campaign designed to inspire and involve the whole nation to make a real difference. The campaign will not only showcase the devastating impact of climate crisis all over Britain but, more importantly, record and raise the profile of people and projects that are our technological and natural solutions to the crisis and shift the public narrative from being overwhelmed to feeling inspirational.
Sacha Dench said “It’s great to be back in Edinburgh and taking part in the Science Festival. By the time this interview broadcasts I will be in the middle of my attempt to circumnavigate Britain in a newly-developed electric paramotor, in the run up to COP26. Scotland is going to be the dramatic grand finale, with Scotland seemingly leading the way on climate solutions there will be some of the most incredible people to speak to, and the most dramatic landscapes to fly over!”
For more information on the Round Britain Climate Challenge please visit Crowdfunder.
In Conversation with Sacha Dench will be presented digitally as part of the 2021 Festival on 3 July at 7.30pm.
Full programme for the Edinburgh Science Festival 2021, that lasts for two weeks, will be announced at 10am on Wednesday, 26 May.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 