A renowned conservationist and adventurer has become the first woman to kayak cross the Irish Sea solo and unsupported in a bid to publicise the threat to migratory birds.

Sacha Dench, of Chagford, also dubbed the human swan for flying among the birds, completed the long-distance paddle as the first leg of her 'Sea to Summit' expedition, retracing bird migration route to Denmark.

Sacha is one of only a handful of women to do this 19-hour epic and the first known to complete it with lower limb prosthetics - the result of a paramotor glider crash when she was filming among flocks of birds from the Russian Arctic to the UK. This time, her latest adventure is human-powered and in the opposite direction - a symbolic return to action after her crash.

Sea to Summit took Sacha from Ireland to Denmark to spotlight urgent biodiversity issues and inspire public action for nature.

The expedition traced the migratory route of the Bewick’s swan and other species across Europe. Over the past eight weeks, Sacha has travelled by kayak and on foot (a cycle ride was cut short by hospital treatment) through the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, before arriving at the Nordic Summit of Species in Belgium (September 13/14) to deliver a speech.

The kayak feat was Sacha’s first adventure since surviving her flying accident in 2021, which left her with multiple injuries and the need for prosthetics for all lower-limb-movement.

Sacha said: “What the world needs now, more than ever, is truth rooted in science - and the courage to act on it. We must also embrace a sense of adventure, because the future is uncertain, and we must act quickly if we are to make meaningful progress.”

Her famed ‘Flight of the Swans’ expedition succeeded in raising public awareness of the threats to birds and the environment because of her innovative filmed flights among flocks of birds.

Sacha, who has also trained and filmed on Dartmoor, said: “All is not yet lost for the swans, or the countless other species facing similar threats. But time is running out. The dramatic declines in swans and other migratory birds along this flyway are a warning: a ‘canary in the coal mine’ for us all.

“With this new expedition, we wanted to showcase the awe-inspiring beauty and value of the natural world and shine a light on the courageous leaders stepping up to defend it. We hope that this project opens eyes to the realities we face and inspires people to act, as if their lives depend on nature. Because they do.”

Dafila Scott, zoologist and granddaughter of Captain Scott of the Antarctic, said: “Sacha is brave, extraordinarily determined, and truly unstoppable. I fully support her mission to raise awareness about the alarming decline in migratory bird species, especially the beautiful and delicate Bewick’s swans, which I once studied.

“These remarkable birds travel vast distances from their breeding grounds on the Russian Arctic tundra, through multiple countries, to reach Western Europe and the UK. Along the way, they face mounting threats from habitat loss, climate change, and hunting pressure. It is vital that we draw attention to these issues.”