BURSTTwo cyclists traveling from the top of North America to the bottom of South America are using storytelling and athletic feats to promote bird conservation and environmental awareness.
University of Alberta scientist Dr. Timm Döbert and extreme athlete Leanna Carriere passed through Smithers last week for “Wings of Survival,” a 30,000-kilometre cycling expedition from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia.
The two cyclists aim to use the power of human storytelling to reconnect people with nature, using the migration flyways of birds as a parallel to their own journey.
“The overarching goal is conservation,” said Döbert. “That’s what all this is about. Trying to make a difference for the planet.”
Marking the first time humans will physically trace a migratory bird species along a global flight path, the pair is following the journey of the threatened Hudsonian Whimbrel to learn more about the shorebird’s migratory route, behaviour and survival rates.
The Hudsonian Whimbrel has one of the longest mating migrations in the animal kingdom, flying every year from South America to the northern shores of Alaska and Canada to breed, before making the return trip.
Each one-way flight takes about two months, with stops of one or two weeks along the way to gorge on crabs, marine worms and insects.
For Döbert, the aim is to “reconnect people with nature using a human story that organically relates to the story of the birds, which are using those flyways. So, we’re using the same flyways. Sure, they’re up in the air. We’re on the ground, but it’s essentially the same challenges, and it’s survival.”
“It’s understanding that science is really critical as a knowledge base. There’s a lot we know, but there’s not enough change relative to the scale of global environmental changes, so it’s trying to use the power of story,” he said.
The team is using birds as “ambassadors” because they are visible indicators of environmental health, and the pair want to highlight the significant population declines in wildlife observed over the last 50 years.
“The birds are one of the best indicators for the health of the environment,” said Carriere.
The pair are also exploring how the human body withstands to long-term physical and psychological exertion, amplified by human-induced environmental changes such as air pollution and heat waves.
Carriere has a pre-competitive athletic background, having competed for Canada in track and field, and is no stranger to gruelling athletic feats.
“You don’t necessarily have to be a conservation scientist to make a change,” she said.
“You can be an artist. You can be an athlete. You can be a lawyer. There’s so many ways to create positive change … What I love about this story is that we’re bringing our different passions and talents together to create impact.”
They’re hoping the expedition will take them nine months.