Flying High for Climate Change - UK Education Programme Launched

Expedition Trailer: https://youtu.be/bN70Z8yVqFM

Images and video: https://www.conservation-without-borders.org/news

The Round Britain Climate Challenge is a hair raising expedition involving a circumnavigation of Britain in a specially adapted electric paramotor by Sacha Dench, Ambassador for the UN’s Convention on Migratory Species and Founder of Conservation Without Borders, also known as the Human Swan. 

It’s a feat that has never been attempted before.

A new interactive education package, created by teachers for teachers, will allow students to join the expedition live from air, land and underwater and be part of breaking two new Guinness World Records

This 3000-plus mile expedition will launch on 18th June at the Glasgow Science Centre and travel anti-clockwise around Britain ending back in Glasgow around 6 weeks later. The journey is designed to inspire and excite the nation to get involved in tackling the climate crisis in the run up to COP26. The question the team want to get the whole country asking is ‘If Britain drove the Industrial Revolution, can we drive the Green Revolution too?’

Sacha will be landing frequently, talking with, filming, and gathering information from, industry, innovators and entrepreneurs, local heroes, communities, schools, farmers and individuals – anybody involved in addressing the effects of climate change in their areas. Supported by a ground crew with film specialists in four electric vehicles the team will be filming from the air, ground and underwater. 

Sacha has partnered with Kate Stockings, blogger, campaigner and Head of Geography at a London school to bring to schools, teachers and educational organisations an exciting programme for teaching climate change.

Climate education is invariably taught from a global perspective – crucial - but often difficult for students to relate to and apply to their own existence and environment.

Kate Stockings says:

“I often struggle to find resources and case studies which sit closer to home, and I jumped at the chance to collaborate with this fantastic expedition. It’s totally unique and has so much potential as a tool with which to teach climate change. As the team travels around the UK, this journey provides an opportunity for teachers to get up-to-date, in-depth information about what the UK is doing to tackle climate change. For me, this is what makes it so exciting!”

A second world record attempt is a mass public call to get at least 140,000 people to sign up to Count Us In, a global carbon initiative, in a one month period starting from 18th June. On achieving this every participant will be able to download their own Guinness World Record certificate saying they were part of this world record. www.conservation-without-borders.org/education-platform

Aimed at 7-14 year olds, the free resources will be inclusive and accessible, offering relevant localised case studies to engage students with local climate related issues.

Included in the education programme will be:

• Twice weekly video calls between Sacha and Kate will reveal details of the projects visited – pupils can ask Sacha a question via their teacher - and videos will be easy to use in classes or assembly environments   

• Schools can visit the expedition team at campsites and follow on social media.  

• There will be a live expedition map hosted on the education platform to track Sacha’s progress and get information about projects

• A competition with winning entries taken to the UN COP 26 will ask the question “Britain drove the Industrial Revolution, how could the UK also lead the Green Revolution?” Entries can be anything from prose to paintings or sculptures. The more imaginative the better!

• Everybody gets a chance to be part of breaking a Guinness World Record through the Count Us In initiative - and every participant will receive a badge recognising their contribution to the world record attempt 

At the end of this spectacular journey the professional footage, incredible stories, and lessons learnt will be combined into a free set of resources to aid the teaching of climate change with home grown project examples, unsung heroes, and inspiring ideas on how to help battle climate change.

Sacha Dench concluded

“Young people in general have a good awareness of the issue of climate change but not necessarily what they can do as individuals to help. With this programme we want to show them the kinds of actions they can take, what career opportunities could exist in a greener economy – and present the challenge in a really exciting and visual way that makes them really want to get involved”

• The expedition and Sacha’s progress will be tracked online here once the expedition starts: www.climatechallenge.live

• Photo and video content, live broadcasts, can be facilitated during the expedition care of the professional media team in the ground crew

• There will be opportunities for interviews at camp sites most evenings

• Email us to be notified of the launch event details in Glasgow 

• There will be celebrities joining Sacha en-route, names to be announced.

EDF (headline), Mastercard (major), Britishvolt (associate), Vauxhall Ltd / Stellantis , Ridge & Partners LLP, Rix & Kay, Brit Insurance, The Eden Project, Celtic Renewables, Don't Cry Wolf, Garland Partners Ltd (Live U), Finisterre, Blue Diamond Autonomous IOT, Zero Waste Scotland, Kreston Reeve Accountants, Johnston’s of Elgin, Blue Diamond, Treharne Engineering, EcoSecurities, Scarlet Hotel, Sky Demon, Eco Attractions, Martin Valenti, Zero-Six-Zero, Dudek, Parajet, The Climate Coalition, Race To Zero, Count Us in, The Green Alliance, Re-wilding Britain, the Scouts, the Scientific Exploration Society, The Nature Friendly Farming Network, Plug In Adventures, Helix

• UN Ambassador for the Convention on Migratory Species

• CEO, Conservation Without Borders 

• Biologist, Conservationist, adventurer, motivational speaker 

• First woman to receive prestigious Britannia Trophy in 50 years 

• Freediving record holder, 

• Woman of the Year 2017 

• Environment Campaign of the Year 2017 

• British Women Pilots Association Trophy 2017

• Green Swan Award, alongside Sir Tim Smit for ‘Making the seemingly impossible, virtually inevitable’.

EDF is helping Britain achieve Net Zero by leading the transition to a cleaner, low emission electric future and tackling climate change. We are Britain’s biggest generator of zero carbon electricity – from our eight nuclear power stations and more than thirty wind farms – meeting around one-fifth of the country’s demand. In addition to being one of the largest suppliers to British homes and businesses, we’re a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping our customers become more energy efficient and independent. We continue to invest in the UK’s low carbon energy infrastructure, constructing the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C, leading the development of plans for Sizewell C in Suffolk, and construction, planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage EDF is part of EDF Group, the world’s biggest electricity generator. In the UK we employ around 11,000 people.

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

www.mastercard.com