News

The Forestry Encouragement Award will be awarded for the first time this year. The aim is to present the Award each year to individuals, groups, companies, associations, or institutions that have done excellent work in the interests of forestry in Iceland.

A call for nominations for the 2024 Forestry Encouragement Award was sent out and almost 40 nominations were received. A jury of three chose candidates for a general vote. The Award will be given at the Annual Iceland Forestry Conference, which will be held in Akureyri, March 20-21.

Take part in picking the recipient and cast your vote for the Forestry Encouragement Award! Voting is open until 5 March – see: https://www.skog.is/hvatningarverðlaun-skograektar-kosning

Candidates:

Sigurður Arnarson. Sigurður has been active in writing educational and interesting articles on tree species, forests and forestry, thus helping to increase knowledge for both the general public and people in the forestry sector. In addition, he has been active in discussions on forest-related issues.

Steinar Björgvinsson and Árni Þórólfsson. Steinar and Árni have, through their work for the Þöll Nursery and the Hafnarfjörður Forestry Association, contributed to the increased diversity of tree species in general in Iceland, the development of recreational forests, provided education to the general public and students in the field of forestry and hosted interesting events for people of all ages.

Lækjarbotn Waldorf School. The Waldorf School has been growing trees at the school since its starting. Environmental awareness, sustainability and respect for nature are integrated into the school curriculum and students learn how to foster the forest that has been grown up at the school. This will help grow up the foresters of the future.

Several companies offer discounts to members of forestry associations on presentation of a membership card. Now one more company has been added to the list – Skógræktin Ölur in Sólheimar – which offers a 15% discount (not valid with other offers).

Information on which companies offer discounts (and how much) can be found here: https://www.skog.is/skraning-i-felog/. You can also sign up to join a forestry association there.

The Mosfellsbær Forestry Association will hold its annual general meeting on Tuesday, March 12th, 20:00, at the house of Björgunarsveitin Kyndill at Völuteigur 23 in Mosfellsbær.

Programme:

1. Election of the meeting chair and secretary and the chairman of the meeting
2. Board Report 2023
3. Association’s accounts 2023
4. Membership fee 2024
5. Election of the board and auditors
6. Other matters

After the regular meeting activities Þröstur Þorgeirsson and Magne Kvam will give a presentation on mountain bike routes in the Associatoin’s area in Mosfellsdalur. They will present the planned development of mountain bike routes in Varmaland and Æsustaðahlíð.

Refreshments on offer.

The Icelandic Forestry Association (IFA) has launched a new website for its land and house at Úlfljótsvatn, where the IFA has been engaging in forestry in collaboration with its co-owners of the Úlfljótsvatn land – the Icelandic Boy and Girl Scout Association and the Scout Association of Reykjavík.

The website describes the IFA’s forestry activities, its volunteering projects, and winter guesthouse, as well as a new winter residency program for writers, podcast/filmmakers, and other artists. The website is mostly aimed at an international audience; future summer volunteers, winter guests and artists, to explain what the IFA does and who it is, but everyone from Iceland and abroad can learn from it.

The future is bright at Úlfljótsvatn!

The website: https://www.ulfljotsvatnlakehouse.com/

The Iceland Forestry Conference 2024 will be held in Hof, Akureyri, 20-21 March. Presenters are requested for the second day of the conference and posters will be displayed during the conference.

The theme of this year’s conference is Forest Resources – Infrastructure and Planning. The Iceland Forestry Conference is organized by Land og Skógur (Land and Forest), the Agricultural University of Iceland, the Icelandic Forestry Association, the Icelandic Forester’s Association and the Icelandic Farmers Association.

Presenters and discussions on the theme form the agenda of the first day of the conference, while the second day is a space for all kinds of topics related to forests and forestry, research, forestry technology and related topics. Applications for space in the agenda for presenters can be made on a special form and also if people wish to submit a poster on the poster presentation of the conference.

The deadline for submitting proposals for presentation is 31 January 2024. All applicants will be answered in the first week of February.

Deadline for submitting poster proposals is 10 March 2024.

Registration for the conference will begin in the first half of February.

Further information can be found (in Icelandic) at: https://island.is/is/land-and-skogur/frett/oskad-eftir-fyrirlestra-og-veggspjoeldum-a-fagradstefnu-skograektar-2024

The forestry association membership card is now electronic. The card is valid for as long as a member is registered in a forestry association but is updated annually. It has been updated for the current year (i.e. for the period 2024-2025).  

Users with an active membership card in their phone wallet need not download it again. The card should update automatically on Android phones when it is opened in the wallet, but you can also press the “circle” button at the bottom right to update the card. iPhone users need to go into the wallet and on the “back” side of the card (the three points in the upper right corner), click on “Pass details” and then stroke down the screen and the card should then update. 

Members who do not already have an electronic card can contact us to check if an active e-mail address is registered with us and get a link sent to access the cvard. Contact us by e-mail at rf@skog.is or call 551-8150. 

If you know a person or people who are doing really good things within forestry and deserve encouragement – please submit a nomination!

Rótarskot is for anyone who wants to reduce the amount of fireworks purchased or who doesn’t want to buy fireworks, but for each Rótarskot purchased a tree will be planted by volunteers from search & rescue services and forestry associations. With the purchase of Rótarskot, you support the work of the search & rescue services and forestry in the country.

Rótarskot can be bought at the fireworks markets of search & rescue services all over the country and on the website of Landsbjörg: https://www.landsbjorg.is/verslun/rotarskot

The Icelandic Forestry Association wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thank you to everyone who supported us in 2023 and we hope to see you in the forest in 2024!