Camila Poulsen
The Wild Beauty of Rewilding
AAD Dissertation Studio 14 2020–21
Extracts from Camila Poulsen, The Wild Beauty of Rewilding
Dissertation Studio 14 Rewilding Tutor: Gabriele Oropallo
School of Art, Architecture and Design London Metropolitan University 2021
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THE WILD BEAUTY OF REWILDING - DISSERTATION STUDIO 14 - CAMILLA POULSEN
Biological deserts A lot of the danish countryside is laid out as farmed fields. Insects cannot find any food in a farmed field; it is like a biological dessert to them (fig.12). In the attempt to create new habitats for insects there is the possibility to get farmers to set free some of the area, where they usually grow crops. The challenge when talking to farmers is that what they usually do, is they suppress nature to make room for their crops to grow (GONT2, 2020). Now they have to do the opposite. Soren Smalbro is a farmer and a local politician, who gets a visit from F.E. There are some areas within his fields that are not great for farming, either because the geometry of the field makes it difficult to get around with the big farming machinery or the conditions of the soil are not ideal for crops, either too wet or too sandy.
Fig. 12 A field with wheat provides no nutrition for insects. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
THE WILD BEAUTY OF REWILDING - DISSERTATION STUDIO 14 - CAMILLA POULSEN
These areas where growing crops is difficult due to soil conditions are the ones where nature could thrive and have good conditions (fig.13). They estimate that 3-5% of his total land area could be set aside to nature and that would probably apply to most farmers. Setting aside land in this region could be done without incurring any financial penalties in the shape of loss of EU farming funding. They hold a meeting with 12 other farmers in the county and present the facts to them and try to get them to do the same to their estates. There is agreement amongst them that they should all be able to find those little corners of their fields that could be laid out to nature. Simply to allow little pockets of nature in their fields. Something like this should be easy to roll out in the entire county and next, the entire country.
Fig. 13 With a map certain areas are identified that are not ideal for farming. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
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THE WILD BEAUTY OF REWILDING - DISSERTATION STUDIO 14 - CAMILLA POULSEN
In Hjorring there are 300 ha of industrial area, as in many other provinsial cities of its size. These areas are typically located in the suburb, and at least 25% of it is grass. Frank Erichsen gathers some business owners to try to convince them to stop cutting the grass outside their premises. They seem to agree (maybe because they are filmed for the tv-series) but when the team returns 1-2 months later only one of the business owners has left his grass uncut. This owner has called Frank because he is worried about, what impression the long grass conveys to his clients about the state of his business (fig.14). His employees have been complaining, that they are not happy with how it looks. When he is the only one of the local businesses who is participating in the campaign, he wants to ensure that customers and associates are aware, that the outside looks like that on purpose and not because the business is about to go bankrupt. They put up a sign with the campaign logo, so it is apparent to clients, that he is part of the campaign (fig.15).
Fig. 14 Uncut grass outside one of the businesses. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
Fig. 15 The campaign sign is put up to ensure clients are aware of the reason for the long grass. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
THE WILD BEAUTY OF REWILDING - DISSERTATION STUDIO 14 - CAMILLA POULSEN
AVV is a large local waste management company who approaches the team to become part of the campaign. They are very keen to show a green profile. They have a large unused area next to their domicile building which they envisage as being rewilded and they place it at the disposal of two wild garden experts Lilli Gruwier and Katrine Turner. The two experts start planning what can be achieved with an already existing pond/waterhole on the site and pathways through the area so people can experience the wealth of insect life, that they are hoping to attract. Towards the street and entrance of the building, there are strips of lawn. The company is keen to convert part of those to wildflower beds instead. They strip off some of the turf and sow the same mixture of wildflower seeds, that has been sown in the roundabouts.
Fig. 16 Very unhappy resident (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
Several months later however, Frank Erichsen receives a phone call from AVV, that they are receiving complaints from employees and passers-by because of thistles. As they inspect to flowerbeds together, a man approaches them and complains about the appearance of the thistles (fig.16). He wants them removed. When Frank suggests that they will have to get them removed with manpower, i.e., a man pulling them out one by one by hand, the man becomes cross and complains that it will be his taxpayer’s money that will be used. Frank sums up that the easiest and cheapest would be to just run over them with a lawn mower, but he agrees with AVV that they will get it done by hand. The AVV representative is adamant, that the thistles must be removed. Frank Erichsen says: “..the thistle is unwanted here even though the butterfly likes it.” After the initial trouble AVV gets the flowering result they had imagined, with the help of more seeds.
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To get businesses on board, it is important that someone with status leads the way and becomes a positive example for the others to follow. So, when Novo Nordisk approaches the team to become part of the campaign (fig.17), the team seizes the opportunity to get other businesses on board too. They send invitations to 800 businesses to come to an event at the grounds of Novo Nordisk – but they only hear back from 1 interested party. They then follow up with phone calls and then only get positive acknowledgements from 6-7 further businesses. They purpose is to get some ambassadors in the business environment. At the event there are some schoolchildren who sows some of the wildflower seeds they have collected, at the grounds of Novo Nordisk. But initial support from the business community is poor. In the industrial area in Hjorring there are close to 100 ha green, leftover area which is equivalent to 200 football pitches so there is a lot of potential. Unfortunately, turnout is disappointing. Novo Nordisk has kept their commitment and let the grass grow with incredibly good results (fig.18). Yellow flowers are making their way through the parking setts (fig.19). As a business with status countrywide hopefully, other businesses will follow.
Fig. 17 Novo Nordisk before rewilding. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
THE WILD BEAUTY OF REWILDING - DISSERTATION STUDIO 14 - CAMILLA POULSEN
Fig. 18 Novo Nordisk after rewilding. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
Fig. 19 Novo Nordisk after rewilding. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
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Public Initiatives and education Frank Erichsen visits an area called Hjorring Bjerge (Hjorring Mountains) which is a pocket of nature in Hjorring owned by the council. Further to the west is Raabjerg Mile (fig.20) which is a protected area on the west coast of Denmark. There is a species of butterfly that only lives there but it is trapped and cannot expand its habitat because the area all around is farmland - there is nowhere for this butterfly to go. The idea is to utilize the area owned by the council (Hjorring Bjerge) and expand it towards Raabjerg Mile to create a ‘Butterfly Bridge’ i.e., create more habitats for insects living there so the population can expand. The strategy for Hjorring Bjerge is to sow a lot of wildflower seeds. The biologists from Hjorring council arranges a day out for schoolchildren from several schools (900 children in total) to collect seeds from growing wildflowers in different areas. The plan is to get children involved and get them helping to sowing all those collected seeds in the area of Hjorring Bjerge (fig. 21).
Fig. 20 View of the landscape in Raabjerg Mile. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
THE WILD BEAUTY OF REWILDING - DISSERTATION STUDIO 14 - CAMILLA POULSEN
Fig. 21 Children sowing seeds in Hjorring Bjerge. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
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Another participant is a military base which similarly to industrial buildings and other public institutions like schools, have a huge outside area of lawn. A closely trimmed lawn signals order and control and this resonates well with the traditional values in the military. But they are keen on the idea that an untrimmed lawn, signals responsibility and consciousness. Already after 5 days without cutting the grass, small flowers start to appear in the lawn. Later, they have had to cut part of the grass area due to complaints about grass allergy. However, they are still part of the project and in the future, they will plan to get less grass in the outside areas and hence less symptoms. The team also sow wildflower seeds in an area outside one of the local schools (fig 22). Involving children both makes for an educational day out, but it is also important that the future generations are acutely aware of the issues, we are facing with biodiversity. Different habits can be instilled in them from a young age. Hopefully, they would also be able to influence their parents in adapting a rewilding approach in their garden.
Fig. 22 Children sowing seeds outside a school in Hjorring. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
THE WILD BEAUTY OF REWILDING - DISSERTATION STUDIO 14 - CAMILLA POULSEN
Later, the school are receiving complaints from the neighbouring residents about the state of the planted area (fig.23). F.E. sums up that here they have been teaching children, that this is the natural, this is nature but instead what is wanted is the flowerpot with flowers ordered by colour. That it is the other, that is detrimental to nature and the insect life, that could potentially live there. It is discouraging that even when it is the children’s project, someone would still complain about it.
Fig. 23 Frank Erichsen assesses the area that has been receiving complaints from residents. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
Hjorring Bjerge however, turns out to be a great success. The area stands in full bloom as the experiment is concluded (fig. 24). Present, are the key figures from throughout the series, and the Secretary of the Environment (danish environment minister) Lea Wermelin. The biologists from Aarhus University have been conducting an insect count in the same locations as the previous year and the findings are encouraging. They see a dou-
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bling in the quantity of wild bees, the number of species has increased by a third. The butterflies’ numbers have quadrupled. Equally encouraging is that species that were thought to be extinct have returned to the area. The presence of the secretary of the environment signals that a roll out at a larger scale is under consideration. It certainly indicates that the experiences that the team has made could be drawn upon in the future.
Fig. 24 Wildflowers in Hjorring Bjerge after rewilding. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
Fig. 25 Wildflowers around the grounds of a schoold in Hjorring after rewilding. (Still - DR TV - GONT. 2020)
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