Volunteers chosen for unique wildlife expedition
Three volunteers have been chosen to join a unique wildlife expedition after being put through their paces at Kate Humble’s Wye Valley Farm.
Twelve hopefuls attended the selection weekend for a place in the ground crew for Flight of the Swans – a paramotor expedition following the migration route of the Bewick’s swan. The expedition is organised by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, of which Kate Humble is Vice-President.
Kate loaned the use of her farm, Humble by Nature, so the team could be selected through a gruelling set of tasks, including a six-mile night time navigation exercise.
Assisting the selection process were a team headed by Steve Holland and Mac MacKenney, both of whom have recruited teams for Sir Ranulph Fiennes, patron of Flight of the Swans.
WWT’s Sacha Dench, who will lead the expedition this autumn, said:
“We were delighted that so many strong candidates volunteered for the expedition. It’s just a shame we can’t take everyone. This weekend was tough but fun. Thankfully the weather was kind.
“We’ve built a strong team to support Flight of the Swans. We’re really grateful to Kate for her enthusiasm for the project, allowing us to use her incredible farm facilities and to Steve Holland and crew for sharing their expertise in putting together an effective expedition team.”
Speaking at the end of the process Steve Holland commented that:
"This particular process was a tricky one as the standard was high across the board. It took quite a while and the experienced views of all of those involved in the selection to spread the field and for the most suitable candidates to emerge"
In addition to the final three, two reserves will attend all the training in case someone has to pull out. The five will work closely with Sacha over the coming months as she undertakes practice flights in the UK and Europe. Three will then join her in Arkhangelsk, Russia in October and drive back through northern Europe as she flies the migration route of the Bewick’s swans.
Kate Humble said:
“Flight of the Swans is an amazing opportunity to follow the migration of these wonderful yet threatened birds. I am thrilled that we have been able to help Sacha and the WWT with their recruitment weekend for this fantastic journey and can’t wait to see their story.”
Flight of the Swans will present the world with a swan’s eye view of the wonders and dangers they face. Almost half of Europe’s Bewick’s swans have disappeared in the last twenty years. A paramotor is a way to experience migration flight as the swans do, and WWT will use the latest media technology to tell that story.
The ground team will support Sacha and relay footage and live broadcasts. They will also stage events and meetings with communities along the route.
