WILDLIFE TV presenter Steve Backshall and his wife, Olympic champion rower Helen Glover, are to kayak 125 miles non-stop from Devizes to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster in the classic DW race this Easter.

Backshall is a World Land Trust patron and they are racing to raise funds to protect a section of rainforest in Malaysian Borneo, saving it from being cut down to make way for oil palm plantations.

By doing this they hope to safeguard a wealth of threatened wildlife found there, such as proboscis monkey, Bornean pygmy elephant, the Bornean orang-utan and sunda pangolin, the latter both classified as critically endangered.

The Devizes to Westminster Race - known as the ‘canoeist’s Everest’ - involves paddling a staggering 125 miles and carrying the boat around 77 locks.

"We're putting ourselves through hell training for it but it's all for a very good cause," said Backshall.

"From the cicadas that deafen you at dusk, to the fireflies that light up the riverside like a thousand Christmas trees, this place is paradise, let’s work together to protect it, forever."

Steve has competed in the race twice before, including in 2015 when he raised £50,000 for WLT to extend Las Tangaras reserve in Colombia.

The race took Steve and race partner George Barnicoat 23 hours and 17 minutes to complete.

This year the race takes place from April 14-17.

Further details about the World Land Trust here