Meet Sacha Dench, the ‘Human Swan’ who helped secure a historic ban on lead ammunition in Britain and won the prestigious 2026 RSPB Medal; the move could protect hundreds of thousands of birds from lead poisoning

During her Flight of the Swans expedition, Sacha Dench crossed 11 countries, raising awareness about lead poisoning and safer ammunition alternatives.

For Sacha Dench, conservation has rarely meant standing at a distance. Known as the ‘Human Swan’ for flying alongside migrating birds in a paramotor, the Dartmoor-based conservationist has spent years taking difficult environmental issues into the field, often meeting the people at the centre of them. Her latest campaign has helped turn a long-running debate over lead ammunition into a landmark change for wildlife, states an online report by Mid-Devon Advertiser.

A prestigious recognition

According to October 2026 report, Dench has been named among the recipients of the 2026 RSPB Medal, the organisation’s most prestigious honour. The award recognises the collective efforts of the Lead Ammunition Collective, which campaigned for decades to phase out most lead ammunition in England, Scotland and Wales, adds the report.The legislation marks a significant moment for bird conservation, with the restrictions expected to prevent thousands of tonnes of lead from entering the countryside each year. The medal places Dench alongside previous recipients including Sir David Attenborough and King Charles.

The hidden danger of lead

According to the report, spent ammunition is a serious but often unseen threat to wildlife. Waterbirds can swallow lead pellets after mistaking them for food or grit, while birds of prey can be exposed by feeding on animals that have ingested ammunition.In the UK, lead poisoning is estimated to kill as many as 100,000 waterbirds every year, with hundreds of thousands more affected by the health and welfare consequences of exposure. Around 40,000 birds of prey are also thought to ingest lead through their diet.The new restrictions could prevent approximately 7,000 tonnes of lead from being deposited across Great Britain every year, reducing a source of contamination that extends beyond individual birds to wider ecosystems, claims the report.

Taking the campaign into the field

Dench’s contribution went beyond traditional campaigning. She worked with scientists, conservation groups and hunting communities, focusing on the difficult conversations surrounding the transition away from lead ammunition.During her Flight of the Swans expedition, she travelled from the Russian Arctic to the UK, speaking with hunters in 11 countries about lead poisoning and the practical challenges of changing ammunition. She also documented evidence through photography, film, public observations and bird autopsies.Her work included meeting Danish hunters who had already supported the move away from lead, then sharing their experiences with other hunting communities. The approach helped bring scientific evidence into conversations where trust and practical concerns were often as important as the research itself.

From expedition to legislation

The campaign eventually stretched far beyond field expeditions. Dench lobbied MPs, helped run workshops with hunters at a United Nations conference and brought together supermarkets, country estates, swan rescue centres and government organisations to discuss alternatives.The challenge was not simply establishing the environmental case against lead. It was helping different groups understand how a transition could work and addressing concerns around changing long-established practices, adds the online report.

A wider conservation impact

The new legislation is expected to deliver benefits for wildlife, domestic animals, ecosystems and human health. For Dench, the recognition also highlights the value of bringing people together around conservation rather than treating environmental protection as a conversation limited to scientists and campaigners.After years of research, fieldwork, advocacy and dialogue, the shift away from lead ammunition represents a major conservation milestone. It could also spare hundreds of thousands of birds from the effects of a pollutant that has quietly persisted across Britain’s countryside for generations.Images Courtesy: Instagram and istock