AFTER travelling 7,000km in a powered paraglider from Arctic Russia, a wildlife researcher has touched down on home turf.

Sacha Dench, a Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetland’s Trust researcher, had followed the migration route of Bewick’s swans and one of the final legs of her journey was the crossing of the English Channel on Monday, December 5.

The mission was to gain a greater understanding of why the species’ numbers are declining.

After flying across the arctic tundra and dodging blizzards and thunderstorms, the final 30km leg was especially daunting to Sacha.

She said: “Crossing the Channel may seem like a small distance compared to the distance I’ve travelled.

“But it is the only place where there are no landing options if the engine fails, apart from the water.”

The journey saw Sacha cross 10 countries and her crossing of the channel made her the first woman to do so by paramotor.

It wasn’t all plain sailing – or flying – for Sacha, she endured -25 degree temperatures and dislocated her knee on one of her many take-offs, which led to an ingenious conversion of the paramotor into a paratrike, a combination of a trike with a glider.

The first migrating Bewick’s swan ‘Maisie’ arrived at Slimbridge on Wednesday, November 23, Sacha is due to arrive at the WWTs flagship location on Tuesday, December 13.

Illegal hunting, newly erected power lines and loss of wetlands all play a part in the swan’s dramatic decline in numbers, which have almost halved over the last 20 years.

Sacha, as well as being the expedition leader, is the WWTs head of media, a national free-diving champion, and has eight years paragliding and four years paramotoring experience.

After landing in Kent on Monday, she said: “We have learned a huge amount, we’ve built up a huge amount of data we just didn’t have before.”

On Tuesday she paddled up the Thames with the GB Premier Dragon Boat squad - due to flying restrictions in London - and stopped by Downing Street to hand in a petition.

The petition reads:
“I encourage you to take action and pursue policies which will prevent further loss of wetland habitats, restore lost wetlands, protect sites used by migrating birds for feeding and rest, result in safer positioning of power cables and wind turbines and tackle illegal hunting.”

Sacha will continue her journey up the Thames Valley through Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and Wiltshire before her three-month journey ends gliding into Slimbridge.