Hi Caroline,
You had a question about trees in Iceland. Traditionally, trees are not seen as part of the Icelandic landscape. However, most believe that Iceland originally had trees when Ingolfur Arnarson first set foot on the island in the year 1000 A.D. Overgrazing and the need for building materials and firewood quickly depleted the slow-growing forests.
Having said that, there are trees in Iceland. Most were planted in an effort to reforest small plots of land. Usually, the area would be fenced off from grazing sheep and the trees planted within. So often times, driving through the country side, you'll see a neatly squared forest a few acres in size. The trees take an long time to grow because of the climate and the light. Most of them are not very tall (15-20 feet) and are usually a type of birch or evergreen, like a spruce.
Also, there are strong opinions on both sides as to whether or not Iceland should be reforested. Some are strongly opposed, saying that traditional Icelandic landscapes are and should be wide open.
But I've heard others siting the importance of land erosion - which is an ongoing concern in parts of Iceland and windbreaks for farms. There is also the aesthetic beauty of trees to consider. There are parks with trees and most cities have a good number of well established trees.
If you drive to the North East part of Iceland, you'll come to the town of Egilsstadir that has taken great efforts to reforest a large area. I believe this forest is called Hallormstadaskógur. I have to admit, upon seeing it, I did not recognize it as the Iceland I know. But I see Iceland through the eyes of relatives who romanticize the homeland.
According to IceTourist on the web, "Iceland today plants more trees per head of population than any other nation in the world around four million a year, or 16 for every man, woman and child."
If you'd like to see pictures of tree in Iceland, here is a great picture gallery.
Hope that helps. (It's way more information than you asked for, but I was having fun!)
5 comments:
You tell it so well - I feel like I am there. Thanks for the info:)
So different from our little end of the world, hmmm?
Beautiful, regardless.
It was not too much information at all. It was very interesting. My ancestry is Danish, so there are a lot of things that you'll mention about Icelandic culture that sounds kind of familiar to me.
I went to Hallormsstadaskogur after being in Iceland for 6 months. I was actually getting rather homesick, and I really missed the forest that I was used to. So I went camping in the woods of Hallormsstadur, and it felt good. Never got homesick after that trip, because I knew the woods there;-)
Iceland is a spectacular country!
Merry Christmas and wishes for a fantastic New Year! Are you up to your eyeballs in snow? If you send me a little snow, I'll send you a little dog hair...sound like a fair trade?
Kathleen and Celeste
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