London to Vancouver ~ Movement for Nature

In 2024, I cycled the distance from London to Vancouver, fundraising for marine mammal conservation along the Sussex coastline 🐬

This was one of the most challenging yet rewarding things I've ever done, and it helped me through a pretty tough year. Not only did it deepen my connection to local nature and give me a sense of ecological purpose (at a time where the natural world is struggling more than ever); it bridged the gap to the people and places further afield that fill my heart 🇨🇦

In early 2024, my girlfriend moved to Vancouver. Unfortunately, due to medical restrictions resulting from long-term health conditions, I decided to stay at home here in Sussex. Having fallen for the mountains, valleys and islands of coastal British Columbia on a trip a few years ago, I knew how much the place calls to me - which made it all the more difficult to accept the complications that prevented me from moving there with her…

Naturally, I soon began planning a summer trip to Vancouver, but I knew I had to think of something to help me through the in-between time. Deciding to undertake the #wheelsandwhales challenge gave me a sense of actively moving towards this newfound connection to the west coast of Canada. In some ways it made the two places, here and there, feel closer than ever. It also made me more aware than ever how wild it is to jump on a plane and cover that much ground in the space of a few hours. I’ll never take powered flight for granted again.

Flying has increasingly been a hard pill for me to swallow at this time of environmental crisis, so this is one way I’ve found to get more from the experience (and help offset the impact in a slightly different way) when flights are needed.

By the same token, I’m once again paying my dues for this summer’s trip out there with some #movementfornature! Inspired by experiences backpacking and kayaking on Vancouver Island last year, this year’s goal is a bit more varied:

• Last year ~ 7,587km (London to Vancouver) by bike 🚵‍♂️

• This year ~ 758.7km on foot and by paddleboard, alongside a beach clean collection target of 758.7kg all here in the UK 🥾🛶🗑️ Once on Canadian soil, I will undertake a 2-wheeled challenge of climbing 7,587m in a single mountain bike ride 📈

I’m excited to see my home lands and waters from a different perspective and pace, and have some fun sub-challenges in mind to keep things interesting along the way. I'm planning on wrapping up the UK-based legs by mid-June before the Canadian adventure begins. Follow along for updates:

www.instagram.com/beanboxer

https://www.strava.com/athletes/5774411 😊

I am fundraising for the Marine Conservation Society to support marine conservation efforts here in the UK. All money raised will go towards efforts such as native habitat restoration, pollution and fishing regulation, vital research into the health of our seas, and community engagement and education. I’ve long felt like our seas are our most valuable remaining window into what a wilder world could look like in this country and we have so much to gain from restoring health and balance to these ecosystems. With environmental threats coming from all angles, groups like MCS need our support more than ever.

More info on the steps they are taking to keep our seas alive and clean - https://www.mcsuk.org/about-us/

We raised £1.6k for the Sussex Dolphin Project last year (🙏), but I'd love to get closer to the £5k goal this time around. Please donate and share as much as possible - your support is greatly appreciated 💙💚

Thanks, Ben