As members of the Natur og Ungdom (Nature and Youth) organization we have the amazing opportunity to join multiple seminars and events every year. This seminar was about glaciers as climate indicators. Ironically, due to extreme weather, we were strongly advised not to come even near to the glacier. Large landslides and storms came in the following days, so it definitely was a wise choice. Even though, or maybe because of the fact that no one in this organization is older than twenty-five, we were able to adapt just fine. Instead, we spent a longer time in the glacier museum with interactive learning. We calculated our carbon footprint and discussed multiple factors of influence. In the evening and afternoon we did some small hikes and cycling.
The following day we went on a tour with a mini-van in the pouring rain. The Norwegian spirits is to not be bothered at all by the weather; so after spotting some birds, we went for a lovely hike. While we were dancing the banana dance in the rain, surrounded by mountains, rivers and clouds I touched upon the feeling of friluftsliv (outdoor life) again. Earlier that weekend I already experienced a magical moment where everyone had dropped quiet and we listened to a waterfall for twenty minutes. Still I cannot conclude without mentioning the wonderful group of participants. Even though I was the only one who did not speak Norwegian, they tried to adapt as much as possible, and we became surprisingly close. Many personal environmental change stories and group hugs further on, we all had to take our polluting busses back home where the environmental spirit keeps on living.
Nynke (RCN ’17-’19)
