Words by Dr. Timm Döbert: 

We’d like to introduce to you Wings of Survival, a world-first Race with Nature, spearheaded by Dr. Timm Döbert (German-Canadian scientific explorer and global change ecologist) and Leanna Carriere (Canada’s first female decathlete and Mum to a 9-year-old daughter).

After five years of planning and preparation, we are about to embark on a 30,000km, 9-month cycling expedition across the entire Americas, 15 countries and hundreds of communities, emulating the greatest endurance athletes on the planet: migratory birds. 

By taking on the extraordinary challenges of bird migration, we aim to help restore the physical and emotional connection of people to nature; we know that connection precedes care and action. Wings of Survival’s unique blend of science, education, and advocacy will be shared with millions of people throughout the Pacific-Americas Flyway and beyond, both in-person and virtually. Moving Artistry Productions is creating the professional Wings of Survival documentary.

This past January, we teamed up with migratory bird scientists on Chiloé Island, southern Chile, where we equipped five whimbrels - a threatened long-distance migrant - with tiny GPS backpacks. Two of these birds are currently in North America; we expect they will soon return to the tidal mudflats of Chiloé Island. The Wings of Survival expedition kicks off in early August in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Our vision is to reunite with ‘our’ birds in southern Chile in mid-March. To achieve this goal, we need to cross diverse biomes and the Darién Gap, cycling 125km/day on average, covering over 300,000m elevation gain. The expedition ends in Ushuaia, Patagonia, the southern tip of South America. 

We also offer virtual classrooms hosted by our partner Exploring by the Seat of your Pants between September 2026 and March 2027. Register HERE for free and participate live or watch the recording. 

Our expedition progress can be tracked in an interactive map on the Wings of Survival homepage: www.wingsofsurvival.com and followed on Instagram @wingsofsurvival.