I founded the Flyway Heroes initiative inspired by the mounting escalation of the biodiversity and extinction crises. Since 1970 alone, we have lost 70% of wildlife populations, including billions of wild birds, with one in eight bird species considered at risk of extinction. My intent with Flyway Heroes is to portray the inseparable connections between migratory birds and our own well-being. Migratory birds are modern-day canaries in the coal mine, vital messengers for planetary and human health. They tell us that looking after our planet is not a choice but a necessity to save our own future from hardship and collapse. Environmental stewardship is a shared responsibility that demands collaboration without borders and across a broad spectrum of cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and interests. For this reason, I am pioneering a storyline that uniquely bridges human adventure, extreme sports, scientific exploration and natural history – and migratory birds are at the heart of this endeavour.
‘Wings of Survival’ marks the first expedition under the banner of the Flyway Heroes initiative. In June 2024, I will lead a cycling and packrafting expedition from Alaska’s High Arctic to Patagonia: 30,000km across 15 countries and 12 biomes along the Pacific Americas migratory bird flyway.