Category: Biodiversity

SAVE THE DATE: Experience sharing and learning workshop – forest landscapes

10 June 2025 / jayne

Governance and management towards more diverse forest landscapes in the Gävleborg region

We invite you to participate in a workshop aimed at strengthening efforts to diversify forest landscapes in the Gävleborg region. The workshop is part of the research programs LANDPATHS and Mistra Environmental Communication. The focus of the day will be on issues related to governance, management and learning in times of uncertainty.

? Date: October 1, 2025
? Time: 09:30 – 15:00
? Location: Högbo Brukshotell, Hans Hiertas v 5, 811 92 Sandviken

In a time of war, climate change, biodiversity loss and a changing political landscape, questions about how we govern, manage and use our Swedish forests are being cast in a new light. Against the backdrop of a more uncertain world, it is becoming increasingly important to promote different functions and values in the landscape.

Recently, there have been a number of initiatives to shift from clear felling to less intensive forest management practices. Although industrial felling still dominates, there are important examples of alternatives to felling that challenge institutionalized norms and help to legitimize new ideas and developing new conceptions of forests and forestry.

The aim of the workshop is to explore how we can work within existing governance and management structures to empower initiators, facilitate networking and enable more people to act in ways that increase forest diversity. During the workshop, participants with different interests and knowledge in forests, from the private and public sectors, will discuss and think together about the following questions:

Who are the key actors driving the diversification of the forest landscape?
What kind of initiatives, innovations and relationships do these actors promote or discourage?
How can their roles be strengthened?
What room for action exists within existing governance and management?

We hope you will join us to share your insights and help develop governance and management that strengthens the diversity of the forest landscape.

Please register via the following link: https://doit.medfarm.uu.se/bin/kurt3/kurt/8886732 by 30 June 2025.

If you have questions, please contact Thao Do.

Imagining otherwise: the struggle for alternative urban futures in south east Uppsala

4 June 2025 / jayne

Envisioning urban futures is as much a social and political act as it is a spatial one. It involves negotiating how we want to live together, what values we prioritise, and whose voices are included in shaping those futures. In the case of south east Uppsala—where a large-scale development plan includes 21,500 new housing units, a train station, and tramlines—this act of collective imagining has become a site of contestation.

A future vision for south east Uppsala 2025

Whose vision shapes the city?

Insights from our workshop held on 28 March 2025 revealed not only sharp critiques of the Uppsala municipality’s plan but also a deeper tension around whose visions for the city are allowed to shape its future.

A central finding from the workshop discussion is the constrained capacity for collective urban envisioning. The pre-determined scope and parameters of the municipality’s proposal cast a long shadow over what was intended as a co-creative, open-ended exercise in urban imagination. The plan’s dominant framing seemed to set the agenda in a way that inhibited local stakeholders—residents, civil society actors, and others—from articulating alternative imaginaries of what the area could become in the future. While green spaces were generally appreciated during the discussion, they were often mentioned as “the icing on the cake” rather than central elements. As a result, discussions centred less on collaboratively creating desirable visions and more on shared concerns around the top-down nature of the formal planning process.

From critique to collective action

This sense of exclusion is echoed in the prevalence of critical narratives directed at the municipality. Many participants voiced concerns over the sheer magnitude of the proposed development and pointed to a lack of meaningful public consultation during the early planning phases. There is also a widespread perception that environmental concerns—such as the preservation of nearby natural areas like Lunsen and Årike Fyris—have not been given adequate weight. These criticisms reflect not only discontent with specific aspects of the plan but also broader concerns about transparency, public participation, and the democratic legitimacy of the planning process.

These critiques stood in stark contrast with the municipality’s assertion that citizen dialogue had been conducted thoroughly and that public opinions were incorporated into the planning process. During the workshop, a political representative emphasised the need to balance individual preferences with broader sustainability objectives—an approach that would inevitably involve difficult trade-offs. At the same time, there are clear calls for more innovative thinking, long-term planning and a landscape perspective that accounts for both local values and global challenges.

Re-imagining planning through co-creation

Interestingly, the workshop conversations also revealed strong place-based resistance among certain local residents, often manifesting as Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) sentiments. Such responses speak to deep emotional and historical attachments to place. They highlight the underlying tensions between place-based attachments and the municipality’s overarching urban development ambitions. Resistance in this context is not necessarily about opposing urban development, but perhaps more about opposing a vision of development that feels imposed and disconnected from local identities and values.

Together, these findings suggest that creating opportunities for shared imagining among diverse stakeholder groups is key to making urban landscape management inclusive and co-creative. Such collaborative envisioning can complement formal planning frameworks by fostering spaces where community-driven ideas and narratives can meaningfully shape urban futures. Furthermore, the findings call for a shift in focus – from solely critiquing the structural limitations of formal planning to recognizing and embracing individual and collective agency to bring about change, even within those constraints.

The case of south east Uppsala is not just a technical matter of infrastructure, housing density or the encroachment on nature and green spaces. It is also a question of how to strike a balance between formal planning institutions and decisions made within representative democracy, and the potential that arises from innovative, co-creative approaches to imagining the collective future of multifunctional urban landscapes.

For more information, contact Thao Do (Uppsala University) in the Future imaginaries project.

New report summarises the results of Nämdö archipelago citizen jury

27 May 2025 / jayne

A new report summarizes the results from the citizens’ jury in the Nämdö Archipelago. The citizens’ jury was organized through a collaboration between the non-profit association Nämdö Green Archipelago (NGA) and LANDPATHS. The purpose was to establish priorities and deepen knowledge for the work of creating a biosphere reserve in the Nämdö Archipelago.

The citizens’ jury brought together 25 participants with various connections to the Nämdö Archipelago, ranging from permanent residents to part-time and holiday residents. Participants were recruited through an invitation letter sent to all households in the Nämdö Archipelago, as well as through digital channels and posters placed in strategic locations. This was followed by a selection process aimed at recruiting a broad diversity of opinions, demographics, and connections to the area. Participants received financial compensation for their involvement and were offered other forms of support to facilitate participation (language buddies, childcare, etc.).

During the process, experts contributed knowledge in fields such as sustainable community planning, business development, conservation, biodiversity, culture, and infrastructure.

The process was led by the consulting firm Kairos Future, which also designed the process in collaboration with NGA and researchers from LANDPATHS. The citizen jury discussions mainly took place in small groups, each led by a group facilitator.

After two days of deliberations, the participants proposed the following priorities for NGA’s work on the planned biosphere reserve:

Permanent residents
Promote an increase in the number of permanent residents in the archipelago, especially by creating more opportunities for small-scale businesses such as local food production.
Conservation / species balance
Promote greater biodiversity and a balance of species. Specific actions mentioned included reducing the deer population, restoring more wetlands, and creating habitats for predatory fish.
Digital meeting place
Create a digital platform to increase youth participation in the development of the Nämdö Archipelago.
Marine Centre (“Havsrum”)
Work towards establishing a Marine Centre in connection with the planned national park.
Community activity centre
Work to establish a multi-purpose community centre on Nämdö.
Consultation
Act as a consultative link between local residents and government authorities.
Renewable Energy
Facilitate the establishment of renewable energy solutions.
Drinking Water
Promote more sustainable use of and better access to drinking water.

The citizens’ jury also created a shared vision for the archipelago’s development. The results will serve as the foundation for NGA’s continued efforts to establish a biosphere reserve in the Nämdö Archipelago.

Read the report here, Swedish (PDF):

2025 05 Nämdöskärgårdens medborgarråd – Rapport Download

If you have any questions, please contact Tim Daw (Stockholm Resilience Centre).

Long-term perspectives, dreams, and prerequisites for multifunctionality and biodiversity in Härjedalen

14 April 2025 / jayne

An engaged group of 20 people, primarily consisting of farmers from farms around the vast region of Härjedalen, gathered in Hede on a sunny Monday in early April. The topic of the day was imagining futures for agriculture in Härjedalen.

Participants gathered at *Wemer Wärdshus in Hede, Härjedalen*. Photo: Johanna Tangnäs.

Challenges and opportunities in the area

There are many challenges in terms of infrastructure and financing, but also very clear advantages and strengths. The region is rich in biodiversity, has favourable conditions for natural grazing, and many of the country’s remaining active mountain pastures (fäbodar) are located here. Keeping the landscape open, continuing with natural grazing, and cultivating the land in a wise manner are crucial for ecosystems, but also for ensuring that people can continue to live and make a living here, even for future generations.

Our research has shown how policies and support measures (mainly from the EU) highlight the importance of the work being done in small-scale agriculture and local communities. At the same time, the existing support systems and structures at both the European and national levels are not particularly favorable for the landscape and the forms of land use that exist in Härjedalen. Furthermore, it has become clear that farmers themselves are not sufficiently consulted on what they need in order to continue, and how they can contribute to biodiversity and strengthened food production in agriculture.

The questions discussed during the day focused on desired futures and possible paths to reach them:

What positive futures for agriculture can you envision – in terms of production, livelihoods, living conditions, and nature?
How can future agriculture in Härjedalen continue to produce food and contribute to biodiversity?
What could enable these positive futures – what changes are needed in support systems and conditions?
What does the EU’s agricultural support mean for the development of good futures for agriculture in Härjedalen?

Late winter hills in Härjedalen. Photo: Johanna Tangnäs.

A wide range of participants

In addition to farmers, a few other business owners participated (many combine farming with other businesses in Härjedalen), along with two representatives from the municipality, one from the Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies (Hushållningssällskapet), one from the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF), one from the Association for Swedish Pasture Culture and Outland Use (Förbundet Svensk Fäbodkultur och utmarksbruk), and four researchers from the Landpaths program: Johanna Tangnäs, who moderated the day; Tuija Hilding-Rydevik, who planned and prepared the workshop together with Johanna; Tommy Lennartsson, who contributed knowledge about multiple land use in Härjedalen’s contemporary and historical agricultural landscape; and Neil Powell, who supported the group in discussions and conversations about the future.

Recurring themes in the discussions

A summary of the desired scenarios and proposals that emerged during the day will be presented in various forms throughout the year. Some recurring themes included: a stable, long-term, and more holistic form of support that encourages and enables young people to take over; support for various forms of farming based on local conditions; and a general desire for more of the infrastructure needed for natural-grazing-based farming to thrive – such as local slaughterhouses, dairies, and someone to collect the milk. There was also a strong wish for better protection against farmland being bought up and then left unused, ungrazed, or even uninhabited.

The next step will be to summarize the proposals that came up during the day and hold a brief follow-up meeting at the end of April with all participants. The proposals and visions of the future, together with other results from the research program, will form the basis for input to responsible national authorities and for continued research.

For more information, contact Johanna Tangnäs.

Report from Day 2 of Nämdö Citizens’ Jury

5 December 2024 / jayne

How do we balance development and conservation in the Nämdö Archipelago? What is the key to increasing the population and creating meeting places for everyone? These questions were discussed during the Citizens’ Jury second and final meeting on 16 November 2024. Over two weekends, 25 citizens with various connections to the Nämdö Archipelago gathered to discuss and prioritise areas for work on the planned biosphere area.

Guiding the work in relation to the planned Biosphere Area

The main task of the Citizens’ Jury was to create a foundation for the non-profit organization Nämdö Green Archipelago (NGA) in their ongoing work to form a biosphere area. The participants represented different resident groups in the Nämdö Archipelago, from year-round residents to seasonal or summer residents.

The first day consisted of presentations that provided several perspectives on sustainable community development. The second day focused on discussions and exchanges between the participants. These discussions covered opportunities, consequences, and ideas based on project proposals taken from NGA’s biosphere feasibility study. The conversations were based on the presentations from day one, along with the members’ own experiences, values, and ideas. During the day, participants shared their reasoning about the risks and opportunities of the projects and how they affected each other. They also highlighted some additional key actions for NGA to prioritize in its continued work to become a biosphere area.

External Observers

On the second day, two observers participated: a local politician and a representative from WWF, both observing and being inspired by the process.

Balancing Conservation and Development

A biosphere area is designed to work with preservation, development, and support efforts for nature and society, as well as to find local solutions to global problems. These themes became guiding principles in the group discussions throughout the day. Conservation was a central issue that many participants addressed. Several shared their personal experiences of a changing ecology in the archipelago, particularly regarding the negative development of fish stocks. Many talked about how fishing once used to be rich and vital, with even younger participants testifying to a marked decline in the last 10-15 years. The problem was widely acknowledged, but opinions were divided on what can be done locally and what must be addressed at higher levels.

There was agreement that there are local opportunities to affect and improve areas like meadows, wetlands, and shallow bays, and that managing the deer population should be a priority. The deer population was seen by many as both a problem and an opportunity, as it could provide a potential source for local production and processing. Small-scale venison processing already takes place, and many saw this as an opportunity to increase production and create an income stream for the multi-skilled residents of the island.

Balancing the development of communities and businesses with nature conservation and environmental preservation was a recurring theme. An increased number of tourists is good for development but also puts pressure on the area’s nature and environment. Therefore, opinions were divided on how much focus should be placed on strengthening the tourism sector. On the other hand, there was unanimous support for the biosphere area working to increase the number of year-round residents, though it was difficult to agree on how this could be achieved.

A major question was, who should settle in the Nämdö Archipelago? Housing prices in the archipelago are very high and exclude many from the housing market. A group that was specifically mentioned was “digital nomads” — people who have created geographic freedom and flexibility through digital tools and live accordingly. However, for people to move in, a functional economy is needed, either through businesses establishing themselves in the archipelago or through remote work and commuting. It is also important to find target groups who could eventually consider registering their residence in the area, ensuring that tax revenue grows with the population.

Creating and strengthening a social meeting place became a central theme in the discussions. This meeting place also needs to be digitally accessible, as information spread through traditional channels often reaches a limited audience. Opinions about how best to organize information and communication varied greatly among participants — some (mostly older) pointed to the need for communication channels like newsletters and websites, while others (younger participants) saw greater opportunities in digital platforms. Finally, regarding travel and accessibility, there was significant interest in improved solutions for carpooling and boat shuttle groups.

A Starting Point for the Future

One of the strongest impressions from the Citizens’ Jury in the Nämdö Archipelago was the power of people, who typically wouldn’t meet, coming together and creating new networks. Almost all of the members signed up for a common list to keep in touch and stay involved in the future. Through the Citizens’ Jury, NGA has reached a wider audience and received input from more diverse groups. These insights and contributions will form a valuable foundation in the work of creating a biosphere area.

The results from the process will be presented and discussed at a meeting in Nämdö early next year. Interested? Look out for more information on Nämdö Green Archipelago – Nämdö Green Archipelago.

Research on the Process

A number of researchers from Stockholm University, Uppsala University, and Södertörn University observed the process and noted how it worked in practice. The researchers are interested in better understanding how this type of local dialogue and participation can support the creation and management of multifunctional landscapes. The Citizens’ Council is part of the LANDPATHS research project, which aims to promote multifunctional landscapes that are both rich in biodiversity and meet the needs of various stakeholders.

Citizens’ Juries in Landscape Planning

Citizens’ Juries involve a randomly selected group of citizens who hear different perspectives, opinions, and expert knowledge on an issue of general interest, and then discuss the issue in depth. This method differs from other forms of citizen engagement, such as citizen dialogues. In a Citizens’ Council, citizens are chosen according to criteria that ensure broad public representation in a small group. The process typically ends with a shared conclusion or recommendations. Citizens’ Councils have been used in several countries to discuss complex issues, including sustainable development and climate change.

For more information, contact Tim Daw.

Analysis of Sweden’s strategic plan for implementing the EU Common Agricultural Policy

8 October 2024 / jayne

LANDPATHS researchers Tuija Hilding-Rydevik and Johanna Tangnäs (both from the SLU Centre for Biological Diversity and the sub-project on agricultural landscapes) presented their article ‘Problem representations of farming and biodiversity in the Swedish implementation of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027’ at the annual conference of the Political Science Association in Sweden, October 2-4, Umeå.

Johanna Tangnäs discusses the LANDPATHS paper with researcher Elsa Reimersson, chair of the thematic session on environmental politics

About 150 researchers participated in the conference with the aim of presenting and receiving feedback on both finished and early drafts of research articles and doctoral theses. The participants were primarily political scientists, and everyone followed a particular thematic session over the three days, with presentations followed by ample time for designated reviewers to present their questions and suggestions for improvements. Everything was done in a collegial and constructive spirit.

A discussion in the environmental politics thematic session

The LANDPATHS paper presented during the thematic session on environmental politics analyses Sweden’s strategic plan, which implements the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy in Sweden. The plan encompasses contributions and payments to Swedish farmers, totalling over 60 billion kronor. The analysis employs a theoretical framework that facilitates understanding how problems in a policy are realised. By this we mean that it is the proposals for action (in our case, the proposals for contributions and payments) that are seen as the problem definition, not what is stated to be the problem.

With this foundation, conclusions can then be drawn about the effects this has on:

how we talk about a political problem (which influences which solutions we see as possible;
the positions of different actors that are enabled (e.g., the role assigned to farmers); and
what the practical consequences are for efforts related to multifunctionality and biodiversity in the agricultural landscape.

Our preliminary conclusion is that we observe, as in previous research, that there are challenges in how farmers and their perspectives and circumstances are described and handled within the framework of the EU’s agricultural policy, in relation to both production and biodiversity.

The conference took place in the Humanities building at Umeå university

For more information, contact Tuija Hilding-Rydevik, leader of the agricultural landscapes sub-project.

The Need for a Nature Policy Framework in Sweden

30 August 2024 / jayne

Biodiversity — the variation of species, genes, and ecosystems—is crucial for all life on Earth, including humanity. Research shows that one million species are globally threatened by extinction due to human activity, a situation that also affects Sweden. This summer, several opinion pieces were published in Swedish newspapers about the relationship between development and the environment, with contributions from Tuija Hilding-Rydevik, a professor with the LANDPATHS program.

The corn bunting can be found in agricultural landscapes but is severely threatened in Sweden due to intensified farming and the use of pesticides. Picture credit: MandrillArt Pixabay

Nature protection and development as rivals

In May 2024, representatives from Sweden’s Moderate Party wrote an article in DN Debatt, arguing that the protection of “common species” is often prioritized over development, which they believe requires political change. According to the Moderate Party’s policy program, environmental policy should focus on human needs for natural resources and development, even if it involves compromises that negatively impact endangered species. They also proposed that landowners in forestry and agricultural landscapes who promote biodiversity should have greater freedom in how they use their land. The article also questioned the general decline in biodiversity.

Reactions

The article written by the Moderate Party sparked a wave of responses and articles in the Swedish press. Tuija Hilding-Rydevik, a professor emeritus in Environmental Assessment at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and leader of LANDPATHS Agricultural Landscape subproject, co-authored two articles responding to the Moderates’ claims.

“My reaction was clear: how uninformed the authors must be about humanity’s dependence on biodiversity, and the threats that ultimately affect us and our societies. Preserving and promoting biodiversity means keeping human needs in mind—today and tomorrow. The second reaction was that it’s good to have their positions stated so clearly, so they can be countered.”
Tuija Hilding-Rydevik

Researchers warn of widening gap between humans and nature

The first response was published as an opinion piece in Altinget Miljö och Energi in June 2024, co-authored by over 20 researchers. They criticized the Moderates’ claim of a conflict between development and the environment. According to the researchers, this misconception creates a dangerous polarization between humans and nature. They stressed that biodiversity is essential for human survival and economies, and warned that the Red List Index shows an accelerating loss of species globally—a clear sign of ecosystem distress.

The researchers also emphasized that the full value of biodiversity is difficult to quantify in monetary terms. With a planet already dominated by human activity, this poses an urgent threat to ecosystem services such as food, clean water, protection from disease, and climate disasters.

Proposal for a nature policy framework

A follow-up to this opinion piece came in July 2024 in Göteborgsposten, where over 50 researchers and civil society representatives warned that the loss of biodiversity is a threat to humanity’s future, to the same extent as climate change.

The authors called for the introduction of a “nature policy framework,” similar to the existing climate policy framework, to stop and reverse the loss of species and habitats. They proposed a natural law, a nature policy goal, and a nature policy council.

The nature crisis requires societal transformation

The article criticized cuts to conservation budgets and decreasing support for making sectors like agriculture and forestry sustainable. Addressing the nature crisis requires a societal transformation, with all sectors contributing. The nature and climate crises are closely linked, and solutions to one must consider the other.

The authors suggested that by establishing a nature policy framework with concrete goals and resources, Sweden could take a leadership role in reversing the trend and ensuring a sustainable future. The government and parliament are urged to act immediately and implement this proposal to protect nature and thus humanity’s future.

Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes

Fifty percent of the more than 4,700 red-listed species are found in agricultural landscapes. This environment is critical for about one-third of these species. Threats to plants mainly stem from changes in land use, leading to overgrowth, increased nutrient loads, reduced land management (e.g., less grazing and mowing), climate change, and reduced connectivity for the movement of plants and animals (fragmentation). Agriculture relies on ecosystem services provided by nature, such as pollination from insects, contributions to favourable soil structure for cultivation, and pest control by naturally occurring predators.

Therefore, it is important that the 64 billion SEK in subsidies and payments to Sweden’s farmers through the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy benefit both farmers’ production and biodiversity in the agricultural landscape. This issue is being studied in depth in the Agricultural Landscape subproject within LANDPATHS.

LANDPATHS welcomes student from Ireland to review latest Swedish research on multifunctionality

23 August 2023 / Admin

The coordinating subproject (SP1) of LANDPATHS welcomed Laoise Ní Mharcaigh, third-year BSc student in Sustainability with Social Sciences, Policy and Law at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland this summer to contribute to a review of academic literature on the barriers and opportunities for multifunctional biodiverse landscapes in Sweden.

LANDPATHS attracts student from Dublin for an internship

Laoise’s particular interests in biodiversity conservation, environmental education and citizen science and her connection to Sweden, where she has family living on Gotland, led her to discover the LANDPATHS research programme. After securing an academic scholarship from UCD’s Ad Astra Academy to cover the costs of her trip and stay in Sweden, Laoise proactively got in touch with LANDPATHS project coordinator Malgorzata (Gosia) Blicharska to explore options for a short internship within the programme.

Laoise standing at Geocentrum at Uppsala university

Laoise at Geocentrum, Uppsala University

My task was to read and review a set of academic articles about various aspects of multifunctionality in Sweden’s landscapes. I started reviewing the articles in early July, picking out relevant information for the work in LANDPATHS.

Barriers and opportunities for multifunctionality reported in academic literature

Jayne Glass, a researcher in the LANDPATHS team, supported Laoise through regular advice and discussion. When Laoise came to Uppsala in early August, she continued her work in the Department of Earth Sciences, identifying the potential barriers and opportunities for multifunctionality that were evident in the papers she reviewed. She then presented and discussed her work with Gosia and Jayne, to identify recurrent themes and contribute to their plans for upcoming work on multifunctionality in LANDPATHS.

We asked Laoise what she had learned about multifunctional landscapes through her work.

Throughout my degree programme, my main focus has predominantly been situated in the realm of climate justice and environmental governance. In terms of my initial understanding of multifunctionality, I had not had much exposure other than what I had learned during a module on land-use and its environmental impact. However, coming from a rural background, I have always been aware of the ability of landscapes to provide several functions, namely the ecological, cultural and economic values of agricultural farmland. As such, I found the opportunity to delve into articles based on multifunctionality in the Swedish landscape to be hugely insightful. Most notably, the importance of forests as multifunctional landscapes and the range of roles that they play in Sweden was particularly interesting, as it is something that is not as prominent in the Irish landscape.

Potential for more public involvement in Swedish landscape policy-making?

Several of the articles Laoise reviewed referred to the importance of engaging stakeholders and citizens in decision-making about multifunctional landscapes. This raised questions in Laoise’s mind about the extent to which the public can influence land use decisions and policy in Sweden. This resonates well with the co-creation approach to stakeholder and citizen engagement in the LANDPATHS research.

Reviewing the articles has been hugely beneficial for me in that I was also able to get a strong insight into Swedish policy surrounding land-use and multi-actor governance. Following the recent nationally-led Citizen’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss in Ireland, it was interesting to note a lack of public involvement in Swedish landscape policy-making. A Swedish Citizen’s Assembly Model could perhaps be looked at in the future.

Geocentrum from the outside and Uppsala university flags

Picture credit: Laoise Ní Mharcaigh

Literature synthesis on multifunctionality in Sweden

Laoise’s work will contribute to the ongoing research by the LANDPATHS team into the barriers to multifunctionality and the potential opportunities that exist for the future in the different landscapes that they are working in – forest, agricultural, urban, marine and coast, and mountain landscapes. In the coming months, Gosia and Jayne will be working with others in the team on an academic paper about multifunctionality in Sweden. The work Laoise did over the summer will be used in this article and we hope to remain in contact with Laoise as the paper develops. Laoise plans to bring the insights she gained about sustainable land-use from the Swedish perspective into the remainder of her degree at UCD.

Sunflowers, picture taken by Laoise during her stay in Uppsala

Picture credit: Laoise Ní Mharcaigh

Experiencing Sweden and Uppsala

This internship, created by Laoise’s own initiative and hosted by LANDPATHS, has also been a great opportunity for Laoise to discover Sweden. She describes her experience working at a Swedish university and discussing with researchers and students as insightful and she is hoping to undertake an Erasmus exchange with Lund University in January 2024.

My recent trip to Sweden and in particular to Uppsala University has been amazing. Having only been to Gotland on previous trips, I was unsure of what to expect. However, travelling by myself to Uppsala, I felt very safe in my surroundings. It was very encouraging to visit a city where bike travel seemed to be the way to go, something that I can definitely take back with me to Ireland. I loved the feeling of walking around the city, with lots of green spaces and mature trees at every turn. My experience with visiting the University has been more than I could have asked for – I felt very welcome during my stay. Everyone that I met was very friendly and interested in hearing about my experience in Uppsala – all I can say is how I look forward to coming back!

We are delighted to have met Laoise and we are grateful for her hard work and helpful contributions to the LANDPATHS programme. We wish her all the best with her studies and hope to see her in Uppsala again soon!