Iceland Is Growing New Forests for the First Time in 1,000 Years | Short Film Showcase

what I love about working in forestry is

what I love about working in forestry is the chance every once in a while to get

the chance every once in a while to get

the chance every once in a while to get out of the office and walk in the woods

out of the office and walk in the woods

out of the office and walk in the woods to see the forest growing to see that

to see the forest growing to see that

to see the forest growing to see that we’re actually doing some good is a very

we’re actually doing some good is a very

we’re actually doing some good is a very rewarding thing a very satisfying but

rewarding thing a very satisfying but

rewarding thing a very satisfying but Iceland is certainly among the worst

Iceland is certainly among the worst

Iceland is certainly among the worst examples in the world of deforestation

it doesn’t take very many people or very

it doesn’t take very many people or very many sheep to DeForest the whole country

many sheep to DeForest the whole country

many sheep to DeForest the whole country over a thousand years Iceland used to be

over a thousand years Iceland used to be

over a thousand years Iceland used to be much more wooded the people coming

much more wooded the people coming

much more wooded the people coming brought sheep and cattle and swine land

brought sheep and cattle and swine land

brought sheep and cattle and swine land needed to be cleared and their grazing

needed to be cleared and their grazing

needed to be cleared and their grazing prevented the forest from coming back

prevented the forest from coming back

prevented the forest from coming back and after a long time the thin

and after a long time the thin

and after a long time the thin vegetation cover that’s left is

vegetation cover that’s left is

vegetation cover that’s left is susceptible to disturbances like frost

susceptible to disturbances like frost

susceptible to disturbances like frost heaps and storms in the wintertime it’s

heaps and storms in the wintertime it’s

heaps and storms in the wintertime it’s basically rips open the soil is exposed

basically rips open the soil is exposed

basically rips open the soil is exposed in part it starts washing away or

in part it starts washing away or

in part it starts washing away or blowing away that’s what we see in very

blowing away that’s what we see in very

blowing away that’s what we see in very very large parts of Iceland my mission

very large parts of Iceland my mission

very large parts of Iceland my mission is to support growing more forests and

is to support growing more forests and

is to support growing more forests and better forests to make land more

better forests to make land more

better forests to make land more productive and more able to tolerate the

productive and more able to tolerate the

productive and more able to tolerate the pressures that we put on

there are other needs of forest biomass

there are other needs of forest biomass lumber lots of different things we

lumber lots of different things we

lumber lots of different things we started using exotic species because the

started using exotic species because the

started using exotic species because the native birch simply isn’t productive

native birch simply isn’t productive

native birch simply isn’t productive knowing which trees to plant is actually

knowing which trees to plant is actually

knowing which trees to plant is actually harder than you’d think we plant about

harder than you’d think we plant about

harder than you’d think we plant about three million seedlings per year in

three million seedlings per year in

three million seedlings per year in Iceland most people have simply until

Iceland most people have simply until

Iceland most people have simply until now you use what you have here in

now you use what you have here in

now you use what you have here in Iceland it’s the native birds plant them

Iceland it’s the native birds plant them

Iceland it’s the native birds plant them and you’d expect that they grow and then

and you’d expect that they grow and then

and you’d expect that they grow and then the climate changes the winters have

the climate changes the winters have

the climate changes the winters have become milder many of the trees that we

become milder many of the trees that we

become milder many of the trees that we planted in the 1950s especially siberian

planted in the 1950s especially siberian

planted in the 1950s especially siberian larch

larch

larch are literally dying after several

are literally dying after several

are literally dying after several decades of being reasonably good sitting

decades of being reasonably good sitting

decades of being reasonably good sitting there dead in the landscape and it’s

there dead in the landscape and it’s

there dead in the landscape and it’s difficult to find the money to do

difficult to find the money to do

difficult to find the money to do something else with the land becomes a

something else with the land becomes a

something else with the land becomes a problem our aim is to produce the seed

problem our aim is to produce the seed

problem our aim is to produce the seed that we need here in Iceland that it

that we need here in Iceland that it

that we need here in Iceland that it will eventually all be of genetically

will eventually all be of genetically

will eventually all be of genetically well adapted material the genetics of

well adapted material the genetics of

well adapted material the genetics of forest trees are important how much heat

forest trees are important how much heat

forest trees are important how much heat they need in the summer to grow how

they need in the summer to grow how

they need in the summer to grow how tolerant they are to droughts when they

tolerant they are to droughts when they

tolerant they are to droughts when they know to stop growing in the autumn these

know to stop growing in the autumn these

know to stop growing in the autumn these are all things that are genetically

are all things that are genetically

are all things that are genetically determined in the trees

determined in the trees

determined in the trees and through the years we found the

and through the years we found the

and through the years we found the species that we can use and now we’re

species that we can use and now we’re

species that we can use and now we’re selecting individuals that are best

selecting individuals that are best

selecting individuals that are best adapted bringing them together in a seed

adapted bringing them together in a seed

adapted bringing them together in a seed orchard and using their offspring in

orchard and using their offspring in

orchard and using their offspring in afforestation the seedlings are produced

afforestation the seedlings are produced

afforestation the seedlings are produced in modern tree nurseries with

in modern tree nurseries with

in modern tree nurseries with greenhouses they’re all containerized

greenhouses they’re all containerized

greenhouses they’re all containerized seedlings which are very easy to plant

seedlings which are very easy to plant

seedlings which are very easy to plant and we produce all of them here in

and we produce all of them here in

and we produce all of them here in Iceland right now I am optimistic for

Iceland right now I am optimistic for

Iceland right now I am optimistic for forestry in Iceland the trees are

forestry in Iceland the trees are

forestry in Iceland the trees are growing people call us at the Forest

growing people call us at the Forest

growing people call us at the Forest Service and say I’ve got a shelter a

Service and say I’ve got a shelter a

Service and say I’ve got a shelter a wall that I want to build I need some

wall that I want to build I need some

wall that I want to build I need some planning for my summer cabin or I want

planning for my summer cabin or I want

planning for my summer cabin or I want to build a pagan church can you help us

to build a pagan church can you help us

to build a pagan church can you help us and we say well yes we can we’re

and we say well yes we can we’re

and we say well yes we can we’re producing wood now of vision boards and

producing wood now of vision boards and

producing wood now of vision boards and planks we have the trees in the woods

planks we have the trees in the woods

planks we have the trees in the woods and we can cut them down the forests are

and we can cut them down the forests are

and we can cut them down the forests are growing better than anybody ever thought

growing better than anybody ever thought

growing better than anybody ever thought people will more and more look at them

people will more and more look at them

people will more and more look at them and say hey this is something that’s

and say hey this is something that’s

and say hey this is something that’s worth having this is not something that

worth having this is not something that

worth having this is not something that was obvious to Iceland you see only a

was obvious to Iceland you see only a

was obvious to Iceland you see only a few decades ago

that’s a great cause for optimism

that’s a great cause for optimism [Music]

[Music]

[Music] you