The Forestry Encouragement Award 2025 was given at a ceremony in Kvikan, the cultural center of Grindavík, on the International Day of Forests, March 21st.
This is the second time the Award has been given. The Award is presented given annually to individuals, groups, companies, associations, or institutions that have worked selflessly for the cause of forestry in Iceland. The aim of these awards is to encourage forestry enthusiasts to continue their work and to draw attention to the diverse and valuable forestry efforts being carried out across the country.
Nominations for the Award were called for in January. A total of 20 nominees were received, from which a jury selected three candidates for online voting. The result of the vote was that Pálmar Örn Guðmundsson, chairman of the Grindavík Forestry Association, received the most votes and thus wins the Award this year.
The ceremony began with an address by Ásrún Kristinsdóttir, president of the Grindavík town council, who welcomed guests and briefly described the current situation in the town. Next, Hjörtur Bergmann Jónsson, chairman of the forestry farmers’ division at the Icelandic Farmers’ Association, took over and formally presented the award to Pálmar. As a prize, Pálmar received two beautiful bowls made of Icelandic birch, crafted by artisan Trausti Tryggvason, who is also the former chairman of the Stykkishólmur Forestry Association.
Pálmar has, on his own initiative, carried out important and selfless promotional work for forestry in Iceland through his YouTube channel Skógurinn (The Forest), where he has covered various aspects of forestry – individual tree species, forests, and forestry entities such as nurseries. Despite his hometown and the forests of the Grindavík Forestry Association being damaged due to the volcanic eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula in recent years, he has not let it discourage him. All work on the videos is done by him alone without the involvement of others. With his sincere and contagious passion for forests and nature, Pálmar sparks interest in anyone who discovers his videos, and it is particularly praiseworthy how diligent he has been in adding English subtitles to the videos, so that more people can enjoy them.
The awards are sponsored by the Icelandic Forestry Association, Land og skógur (Land and Forest), and the Icelandic Farmers’ Association (forestry farmers’ division).
Pálmar Örn Guðmundsson, recipient of the Forestry Encouragement Award 2025. Photo: EB
