30×30 – Cycling for nature and human resilience

Timm Döbert and Leanna Carriere completed the challenge of cycling for 30 consecutive days, visiting 30 key biodiversity areas including national and provincial parks, biosphere reserves and migratory bird sanctuaries. To meet the UN’s goal of protecting 30% of land, freshwater and ocean by 2030, Canada needs to double the current number of areas under protection.

“Species are disappearing fast, populations are shrinking fast, so how do we protect biodiversity? It’s largely about having sufficient habitat,” commented Döbert, a visiting scientist and postdoctoral fellow in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Science.

Carriere, an endurance athlete and personal trainer, added: “People are interested in sports, humans are interested in other humans’ stories, so it’s really bringing in a different demographic and using sports as a platform to stand up, speak out and advocate for nature.”

Additionally, Döbert and Carriere collaborated with a number of researchers at the University of Alberta to collect data from their journey. Carla Prado focused on the impact of nutrition and body composition, while Amber Mosewich and Michael Kennedy gained insight into mental and physical resilience at the limits of endurance.

“This study presents a unique opportunity to bring physiology and psychology together,” says Mosewich, associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation and member of the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute.

Döbert and Carriere did lab testing with Kennedy and interviews with Mosewich before and during their lengthy trek, as well as completed daily questionnaires for both researchers where they discussed mood, fatigue and other physical symptoms.

The pair provided audio recordings captured during key moments of the journey, which will allow Mosewich to better understand their mental state and any coping strategies.

“There’s an area of physiology called psychobiological or psychophysiological, which essentially combines how the perceptions of fatigue and how you’re feeling are tied to your physiology,” said Kennedy, associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation.

“Physiology is influencing perception, and perception is also influencing physiology.”

Kennedy posed an additional questionnaire to be completed every three days that assesses a variety of symptoms he has found are early warning signs of overtraining, such as heaviness in the legs and arms, sleep difficulties and a racing heart.

“It really comes back to this idea of resilience,” said Döbert. “How do you create and build resilient landscapes that carry us and all species to the future?”

Döbert and Carriere have a longer adventure planned for June 2025 when they will cycle 30,000km following the pathway of migratory birds. You can read Global Sustainable Sport’s feature on the trek, here.