SCIENCE
Bird Migration
We track whimbrels to better understand their migration routes and help protect this at-risk species. A collaboration with the Austral Shorebird Alliance, Universidad Austral de Chile, the Centre for Animals on the Move at Western University, and Lotek Wireless.
Avian Soundscape
We use acoustic monitoring to study bird diversity across the Americas. Framed as a natural history transect, we will capture daily recordings of the soundscapes that we traverse across the Pacific-Americas Flyway, using a BirdWeather PUC unit. The data will provide new insights on biodiversity patterns across space and time. The data will also be integrated into the Zero Six Zero Expedition Map to present virtual audiences with a more holistic immersion into the environments we experience.
Avian Mortality
We document the diversity and distribution of birds killed by vehicles. In 2024, we cycled coast-to-coast across Canada and noticed a surprising diversity of dead birds along the roads, including songbirds, raptors, and even shorebirds. In fact, hundreds of millions of birds are the victims of vehicle collisions every year. Throughout the journey from Alaska to Patagonia, we will photograph and GPS-reference dead birds along the road to investigate the frequency and diversity of bird mortality.
Athlete Resilience
We study the psychological and physiological resilience of ultra-endurance athletes. For our 2024 cycling traverse of Canada, we teamed up with sports and nutrition scientists. Together, we collected a wide range of data on our plant-based nutrition, physical performance, and mental resilience. The first scientific paper based on some of the data collected during that 30-day ride was recently published in the scientific journal Physiological Reports, spearheaded by Dr. Sarah Purcell at the University of British Columbia. The open-access article can be found HERE. Select aspects of this research will be expanded on the Alaska-Patagonia expedition through collaboration with exercise and sports nutrition scientists interested in the science of muscle damage, inflammation, and immune function during ultra-endurance activities.
