Submitted by Timm Döbert
My passion for sports and nature inspired me to develop the concept for an expedition trilogy called Wings of Survival.
I am a conservation biologist, scientific explorer and endurance athlete. I am also a Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellow, an Explorers Club Member International, an IUCN Commission Member for CEC and WCPA, a Scientific Exploration Society Fellow and a Wilderness International Ambassador.
Wings of Survival is a story of courage, resilience and survival, a unique perspective into the natural world, to inspire planetary care. On-the-ground and virtual engagement with diverse audiences are core pillars of this impact initiative.
Emulating the remarkable journeys of long-distance migratory birds, these expeditions follow the global flyways, connecting continents, countries and communities for conservation without borders.
Migratory birds are arguably the most remarkable ‘athletes’ on the planet. Their endurance and resilience, paired with unrivalled pathfinding skills and astounding physiological adaptations, absolutely dwarf what humans are capable of.
Starting June 2026, Leanna Carriere and I will cycle 30,000km from Alaska’s High Arctic to Tierra del Fuego in Patagonia, following the epic migrations of whimbrels across the Pacific Americas Flyway. These threatened shorebirds commit to some of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom, and we want to tell their stories through the bird’s eye view. The mission of Wings of Survival is to use sports to drive nature-positive outcomes across the world’s flyways, the bird migration paths that span the entire globe.
Last summer, Leanna and I cycled 4,500km coast to coast across Canada to better understand the logistics and adapt to the challenges of next year’s expedition. Along the 30-day journey, we visited 30 key biodiversity areas, representing a diversity in precious ecosystems. Framed as a 30×30 challenge, we partnered with Birds Canada, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), to introduce the UN 30×30 Biodiversity Target to Canadians. This global agenda calls for the conservation and restoration of 30% of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030, to improve planetary and human health.
Visual storytelling is a powerful way to engage and empower people to take action for nature. On our ride, we were fortunate to be accompanied by Northern Latitudes photographer Bill Ault, who captured the joys and hardships of our full immersion into the Canadian outdoors. Torrential rains, punishing humidity, gusting winds, brutal heat waves, suffocating forest fire smoke and the tail end of a record-breaking hurricane challenged our physical and mental resilience. Admittedly, it was the birds that kept our spirits ‘flying’, enchanting us with their songs and movements, no matter how rough the conditions.
In the summer of 2025, Leanna and I will once again ride 4,500km across Canada. This time, a south-to-north traverse from the southern Prairies of Grasslands National Park to the coast of the Arctic Ocean at Tuktoyaktuk. On this 30-day journey, we will share important place-based stories from across this natural history transect through the diverse media channels of our growing support network. To learn more, please visit www.wingsofsurvival.com or reach out to me at timm.dobert@gmail.com.
Cover photo by CADS Photography