FOREST – Emotional and ecological layers within a Swedish forest

‘Forest’ is an illustrated, dual narrative booklet which delves into the ecological and emotional layers within a Swedish forest through biocentric ethics. Its aim is to inspire close-to-nature cultivation amongst small-scale private forest owners and to contribute to ecological and cultural sustainability.

Forests are home to 90 percent of Earth’s land living species, provide several crucial eco-services and have a long history in Swedish culture and society. Coming from a family of small-scale private forest owners, I have grown up close to and personally feel a strong emotional connection to forests. Today, the Swedish forest industry has a big focus on production and profit and we are in a situation where the majority of Swedish forests are depleted. With prominent anthropocentric ethics and capitalism, few actual forests are left as most of them have been converted into plantations in benefit of human consumption and production. This oversees other ecological and emotional layers that make up a forest. 

Forest: a complex ecological system in which trees are the dominant life form. (Britannica, 2022)

I have been in discussion with four small-scale private forest owners to hear what relation and emotions they have to forests, and to let these be heard and take part in the debate in which the industry’s voice is overrepresented. Together with highlights of studies and reports which oppose today’s forest industry I have created a dual narrative booklet. The two narratives, personal and scientific, begin from one end each, and come together in the middle through the same conclusion – that the cultivation of forests needs to change. 

“You live so close to and with your forest. It is a living being, a huge friend. A life that you see grow, evolve and get sick in front of you. There’s so much emotion in it that you might not acknowledge as emotions until you start to think about it.” –Forest owner

The project visually connects to Swedish identity and heritage through inspiration from the Dalarna based, Swedish folk art ‘Kurbits’ – seen as a national symbol and identity. By dissecting the construction of a ‘Kurbits’ and then building it up, I visually represent and explore the complexity of a forest, both ecologically and culturally.  

Read the digital booklet: https://online.fliphtml5.com/bnvde/yuut

The goal is to provide information needed so that forest owners can make genuine cultivation decisions, and to spread awareness of the ongoing issues within forestry to open the dialogue from a different angle. More narratives that represent emotional value rather than economical value and direct facts are needed to give a greater understanding of what part our forests play ecologically and culturally.