ragnhildur

On Thursday June 2nd, students at Kerhólsskóli in Grímsnes and Grafningshreppur planted 55 trees in Vinaskógur by Þingvellir, in collaboration with the Ombudsman for Children, the Icelandic Forestry Association and the Yrkja fund.

The occasion for the planting was the Children‘s Forum which was first held in November 2019 and again in March of this year. Environmental issues are very important to children and great emphasis was placed on these issues in discussions at both the Children‘s Forums held. The aim of the planting is to offset carbon emissions from emissions related to the travel of the child MPs that attended the Forums and especially those who came the furthest, in accordance with the child MPs’ emphasis on environmental and climate issues and environmentally friendly modes of transport.

Vinaskógur was founded on the occasion of the Land Reclamation Forest Campaign in 1990, based on an idea by then president Mrs. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who is a patron of the forest. She is also the patron of the Children’s Forum and it is therefore appropriate to choose Vinaskógur for planting now. All students at Kerhólsskóli took part in the planting together with the staff of the Ombudsman for Children. Sævar Helgi Bragason gave a small talk on environmental and nature protection and the planting concluced with refreshments offered by the Ombudsman for Children. The Icelandic Forestry Association is in charge of planting and caring for Vinaskógur.

Sævar Helgi Bragason gives a talk.

Working together.

Putting the tree in the ground.

Planting well under way.

The youngest kids helped to plant the largest tree.

The Annual General Meeting of the Rangæingar Forestry Association will be held on Thursday, June 9th, at Safnaðarheimilið at Hella, Dynskálar 8, starting at 20:00.

On the programme are regular meeting activities. Guest speaker at the meeting will be Hreinn Óskarsson from the Iceland Forest Service.

Refreshments on offer.

The Icelandic Forestry Association and Katla Geopark signed a declaration of co-operation on Wednesday, May 4^th. which aims to strengthen and increase the interest of municipalities in the South in forests and forestry. In collaboration with the Mýrdælingar Forestry Association, the Mörk Forestry Association, nd the Rangæingar Forestry Association the aim is to strengthen and increase the interest of municipalities in the South of Iceland in forests and forestry, by drawing attention to the importance of tree planting as part of the fight against climate change, educating and mobilizing the younger generations and promoting sustainable nature-based tourism in the South. The declaration is part of the Skógarfólkið project by the Icelandic Forestry Association, which aims to create a closer bond between the Icelandic Forestry Association and its member associations, assist them in their socio-cultural activities to enhance their attractiveness within local communities, and find ways to promote forestry in the Icelandic society. The representatives of all parties signed the declaration of co-operation.

Representatives of the collaborating parties at the signing. From left: Elisabeth Bernard, project manager of the collaboration project at the Icelandic Forestry Association; Brynjólfur Jónsson, Director of the Icelandic Forestry Association; Þorsteinn Jónsson, secretary of the Rangæingar Forestry Association; Berglind Sigmundsdóttir, manager of Katla Geopark; Sigurgeir Már Jensson, chairman of the Mýrdælingar Forestry Association and Jón Þorbergsson, chairman of the Mörk Forestry Association.