July 29, 2024
Early in the morning Teemu gathers the group from various parts of Finland and heads to Naantali. The car is packed with Matti, Nina, Aarno, Eevamaria, and camping gear. We take a ferry to Kapellskär, Sweden, and drive to Tiveden National Park for the night. After a short walk to a beautiful campsite, Nina’s awkwardly sounding air mattress pump surprises everyone. A bit of beach sand also travels with us, unfortunately ending up in Nina’s eye.
July 30, 2024The journey continues early towards Gothenburg and the next ferry. Onboard, food is labeled with carbon emissions instead of prices. We arrive in Fredrikshavn, Denmark, where our host Bo welcomes us and takes us on a refreshing walk in the Pikkerbakken area. We admire the large trees, enjoy the city view, and have dinner outdoors. Inside, we learn about Danish nature conservation through a video and enjoy dessert brought by Lotte. |  |
July 31, 2024The group wakes up on the floor of Bangsbo Nature House, spotting a herd of fallow deer. We visit Lille Vildmose Nature Reserve, where Jakob, Camilla, and Benedikte show us an amazing water play area, daring wild boars, impressive bird towers, and the nature center with its bison. We also visit a nearby town for ice cream and cook pheasant stew over a campfire in the evening, using a recipe that teaches children about food origins and preparation. Eevamaria, who lost her hat, receives a Lille Vildmose cap and is very happy with it. |  |
 | August 1, 2024The group packed into a van rented by Bo and headed to Thy National Park on the west coast. Park director Else introduced the nature center run by volunteers and discussed common issues like invasive species and overgrowth. We explored the dunes and visited a stone lighthouse with a stunning view. The current exhibition on dead insects provided a realistic depiction of nature loss. The park, established on private land, enjoys strong local support, and even the presence of wolves is a point of pride. On the way back, we stopped at the beach to learn about traditional boat signaling and enjoyed some ice pops. In the evening, we had a traditional Danish dinner at a nearby mill with Bo, who was the only one with still room for the ice cream on the way home. We bid a big thank you and farewell to Bo. |
August 2, 2024The group rose early and headed to the northern tip of Denmark. At the Skagen Bird Observatory, Simon explained the history of bird ringing and research. We joined trainees on a net round and observed bird ringing. Then we crossed the dunes to Denmark’s tip, waded into the confluence of two seas, and enjoyed the beautiful location. We visited a migrating dune area, a small desert moving at 15 meters per year. After a short city tour, we headed to the port. The ferry took us back to Sweden, where we camped at Garphyttan National Park for a short but sweet sleep. |  |
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August 3, 2024
The tired travelers refreshed at a service station, praising the coffee, service, and large restroom. On the ferry, we enjoyed a brunch or lunch, relaxing for the rest of the journey. In Naantali, Teemu dropped off each member one by one at trains, hotels, and other destinations and then continued home safely.
We brought beautiful weather to Denmark, enjoyed Danish desserts (thanks to Bo!), and had a wonderful time! THANK YOU!
