Headstarting is a collaborative effort between WWT, BirdsRussia and the RSPB, and occurs as part of the International Arctic Expedition mounted each year by BirdsRussia under the leadership of Dr. Evgeny Syroechkovskiy.

Anastasia Sestnova

Nastya joined the Spoon-billed Sandpiper project in 2012, as a graduate of the Biological Faculty of the Saratov State University. She again joined the expedition in 2013, having gained the experience to become a full-scale member of the SbS team. She helps search for SbS nests and raise the headstarted SbS chicks. She has crucial fieldwork experience and helps arrange the logistics of the expedition to Chukotka.