Bringing Back The Ancient Viking Forests of Iceland | Rewilding Iceland

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  • Опубліковано 13 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 870

  • @OzWasTaken
    @OzWasTaken 2 роки тому +262

    As an Icelandic forest farmer myself, I am very happy that you guys chose our country to plant trees in! Me and my family have to deal with these gravely, mossy plains as well unfortunately. To fight against the gravel we make our own dirt by recycling food waste. And we fertilize the land by using old manure from our barn, grass that we cut from our garden, and the dirt that we make. It's going pretty good there are some patches of new grass and other plants coming out of the gravel! I am very grateful that you are planting our trees back that our vikings took down! Thank you so much! 🌲🌱

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +32

      Thank you for the kind words Oz. Your comment made me really really happy. We have had quite a few messages from people from Iceland welcoming us and being excited about the project. You as a forester makes it even more exciting. Also, thank you for the tips :) In which part of the country do you work? - Cheers, Duarte

    • @OzWasTaken
      @OzWasTaken 2 роки тому +16

      @@MossyEarth Hey Duarte! I am in the western region of the island. It's called "Dalasýsla" I live 15 minutes away from a small town called "Búđardalur". it's 1 hour north of Akranes. No worries mate happy to help!

    • @cristibaluta
      @cristibaluta 2 роки тому +1

      As a tourist, the current landscape is just beautiful and so unique, don't plant it all.

    • @vivalaleta
      @vivalaleta 2 роки тому +2

      Can you start a petition to get your government to step up the planting program?

    • @BigCroca
      @BigCroca 2 роки тому +6

      @@cristibalutanot all of it CAN be planted don’t worry

  • @hakonespeland3332
    @hakonespeland3332 2 роки тому +327

    Iceland holds a special place in my heart ever since i participated in a similar project in 1991, at the age of 17. We were a small group of norwegians and icelanders together planting a huge amount of threes just outside of Djupivogur on the southeast coast of Iceland. We even got to meet the Icelandic president at the time, Vigdis Finnbogadottir, as she highly appreciated the project. Since then i always wanted to go back to see how "my" threes had fared.
    So in 2014 i brought my daughter with me to Iceland to find out. We set out from Reykjavik with Djupivogur and the threes as our main destination. I remember the anticipation and excitement i felt when we closed up on Djupivogur. And there....lo and behold, the small threes we planted back in 1991 had turned into a beautiful and big forest. An amazing moment, as if i had just discovered the golden city of El-dorado.

    • @BassFlapper
      @BassFlapper 2 роки тому +18

      What a great story!

    • @ugglan3579
      @ugglan3579 2 роки тому +6

      Cool man.

    • @dmitriymazanik6766
      @dmitriymazanik6766 2 роки тому +11

      Thank you very much!
      People like you are the hope of all mankind to keep our planet alive.

    • @kroneexe
      @kroneexe 2 роки тому +4

      thats very special

    • @aazhie
      @aazhie 2 роки тому +2

      Congrats on such a wonderful job well done. I hope many more people can see forests that they planted thrive

  • @julieschleiss-andreassen693
    @julieschleiss-andreassen693 2 роки тому +549

    Such a cool and ambitious project! Hope that we'll be able to see a significant change in less than 1750 years because I don't think I can stay alive for that long 😅

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +69

      Thank you Julie! I was hoping you would live to 1750 though :)

    • @user-qw4jy1oy9r
      @user-qw4jy1oy9r 2 роки тому +8

      @@MossyEarth what a misleading video...
      *Iceland is not a very cold place at all*
      Average temperature is 0°C across the whole island due to worm oceanic tides.
      Siberia is a very cold place...

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +16

      @@user-qw4jy1oy9r when you put it in that perspective 😅

    • @daylonmurray8068
      @daylonmurray8068 2 роки тому +7

      @@user-qw4jy1oy9r Not only warm oceanic currents (a branch of the North Atlantic Drift), but also (and mainly) South-Western air masses. Coastal areas in the West and South remain above freezing all winter with more rain than snow. All these areas, lowlands and Eastern lowlands (they warmer summers) should be forested. The island looks like tundra, but this biome should only be found in highlands and near glaciers.

    • @user-qw4jy1oy9r
      @user-qw4jy1oy9r 2 роки тому +5

      @@daylonmurray8068 I know. I live here. Southern West climate is mainly because of Gulfstream. That is where I live.

  • @orix3434
    @orix3434 2 роки тому +44

    As a person that lives in Iceland and always found it tragic how much of the forest has been lost i have personally planted 30 or so trees up in Húsavík which has grown insanely big compared to how it was 20 year's ago now you can visibly see the trees for 2000 meters in all directions and every year in summer they plant around 300 trees not alot but considering the town's pupulation of 2200 ish is impressive And i know a few towns are doing the same with growing trees everywhere they can

    • @surgeinc1
      @surgeinc1 Рік тому

      Wonderful!👏👏👏

    • @LuckyFluke007
      @LuckyFluke007 7 місяців тому

      In 50 years there will be a nice forest there 😀

    • @sbaumgartner9848
      @sbaumgartner9848 5 місяців тому

      Thanks for helping to replant trees. I was in Iceland last month and it was an amazing experience. I didn't get to the north of the island (unfortunately) but I've been watching videos since I returned home. The small towns around Iceland are truly lovely and I'm impressed with the swimming and community centres, etc. provided for the locals. It was also interesting to see where trees were and how large and thick some are.

  • @TheTdZt
    @TheTdZt 2 роки тому +282

    So interesting how most people would have no idea what the landscape has looked like in the past and hence what it could look like in the future. Hopefully this also invites people to look at ecosystems around them and start questioning things. Well done everyone!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +22

      The world of rewilding has certainly opened my eyes when looking at the landscape. Sometimes it makes it look sad such as the countryside which now looks more desolate to me. And then sometimes I see a lot of potential or restoration happening which is really exciting. - Cheers, Duarte

    • @Crashed131963
      @Crashed131963 2 роки тому +9

      The Sahara Desert is said to have been green with lakes 6000 years ago.
      Not all change is man made.

    • @oligultonn
      @oligultonn 2 роки тому +8

      As an Icelander I never knew that there used to be forests here when the vikings came and I first read about it when I studied the Icelandic sagas in school and I could not believe it. This open landscape is what I know, my mom and dad know, my grandparents know, my great grandparents know. The thing is that only certain parts of Iceland are fit for forests and even then the weather is so harsh sometimes that large parts of forests could die out.

    • @esgee3829
      @esgee3829 2 роки тому +6

      @@oligultonn this was due to tragedy of commons though, not harshness of weather. this is even accounting for deforestation from volcanic eruptions.

    • @oligultonn
      @oligultonn 2 роки тому +2

      @@esgee3829 it infact was a combination of both.

  • @jonapcline
    @jonapcline 2 роки тому +6

    I love that y'all are focusing on native trees to the land and biodiversity! Yay for doing good in the world!

  • @snowwave22
    @snowwave22 2 роки тому +114

    I find It inspiring that this project is sponsored by the Icelandic forest service itself: government support Is crucial, and more countries should do that! Do they also collaborate with other organizations in different areas?
    Also I find amazing that you are bringing back forests more than 1000 years after they were removed. Very Happy to be a member!!!!

    • @hannahkirkland5712
      @hannahkirkland5712 2 роки тому +8

      Hey Dora! Thanks for your comment! The Iceland Forest Service have been great to work with. They're the only organization we work with in Iceland, but we have local partners we work with all across the globe. Supporting local organizations is often the most effective way for us to make a difference to all these ecosystems. Very happy to have you as a member! - Cheers, Hannah

    • @thejohn4
      @thejohn4 2 роки тому +3

      The Icelandic forest service has an incentive for farmers and landowners to dedicate land for forests for a set amount of years, where the government supplies saplings for low or no cost, and pays 95% of the contracted work for pruning the forest where the landowner is the first option for the contract.

    • @monajohansen8764
      @monajohansen8764 2 роки тому +1

      Österreichischer Alpenverein had tree planting projects outside Wien back in the 90s to prevent erosion, to keep the groundwater levels stable to save the Schwartzkiefer in the area. I was there working several seasons, and it was rewarding, interesting and good for the environment. Alpenverein arrange summer camps for families, kids and teens to join environmental projects. They pay for food and housing, and sightseeing and interesting events are also included. I wish more countries had similar things going on. When I was in school back in the 70s and 80s, schools took part in planting trees in Norway. Activities like that is long gone....

    • @kuroimae-ashihorbuch-kanal6537
      @kuroimae-ashihorbuch-kanal6537 2 роки тому +3

      @Dora Luise On one side, I agree with you. On the other side, I really don't get why the Icelandics still let their sheep run free. If they would keep their sheep and goats only in special areas (moving from place to place but always kept behind a fence) nature would support renaturating by itself. Letting sheep go on eating saplings and grass will make things even worse. *This* should be the first step. otherwise an Icelandic Forest Service sounds a bit .. funny to me.

  • @jujitsujew23
    @jujitsujew23 2 роки тому +34

    its good that you're prioritizing native species

  • @draphotube4315
    @draphotube4315 2 роки тому +90

    I have always loved Iceland, such a unique place on earth. I had for a time really studied it's ecology and really wondered what it would be like if all those birch trees were still standing. What a wonder world it must have been. Good to see you people are working on bringing this back!

    • @draphotube4315
      @draphotube4315 2 роки тому +6

      I also love how you people use native species..!! Man this channel and organization is THE best!!!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +10

      Thank you Drapho! Really appreciate your kind words. For us native species and biodiversity are THE priority and not just a side mission :) - Cheers, Duarte

    • @kristinnkristinsson1369
      @kristinnkristinsson1369 2 роки тому +6

      I mean, there are some forests in Iceland. Like Hallormsstaðaskógur, which covers 740 hectars, most of which is native birch forest. The landscape there presumably looks very similar to what Iceland looked like before human habitation.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +4

      @@kristinnkristinsson1369 Hopefully there will be a lot more such places in a couple of decades :) - Cheers, Duarte

    • @paul6925
      @paul6925 2 роки тому +3

      I just hope they don’t end up with mosquitos like in my country Canada. I guess they don’t have any native species thank goodness

  • @wesleyhunter2834
    @wesleyhunter2834 2 роки тому +13

    When I lived there between 1968 - 70 there were no trees. I am happy to see the reforesting of this beautiful place.

  • @cathie9614
    @cathie9614 2 роки тому +3

    More and more trees are needed in Iceland. Keep going.

  • @WanderingSoleTV
    @WanderingSoleTV 2 роки тому +4

    Land conservancies and reforestation work is going to be so vital going forward! I am so thankful to all that do this work!

  • @manphamquang552
    @manphamquang552 2 роки тому +4

    you guys are quickly becoming one of my favorite youtube channel about nature & wild life in general. I really love how meticulous you guys plan and just the love of nature that you have. I'll make sure donate to you guys once I graduated college and got a stable job.

  • @YanaTokar-v1j
    @YanaTokar-v1j 10 місяців тому +1

    Молодцы молодежь! как приятно, глаза ясные,улыбки натуральные, и вы сами!некомпьюные! и светлая цель! удачи, здоровья, исполнения желаний! спасибо за доставленное удовольствие!у нас в поселке искусственный бор,50лет назад его посадили старшеклассники!в все обитатели бора,от рыжего муравья до неясыти!думали ли они? мечтали ли об этом?! даже если нет,я очень благодарна!здорово!❤😊

  • @loafer1989
    @loafer1989 2 роки тому +7

    I visited Iceland in September of 1994 and spent a few days there. One thing I remember is the severe lack of trees. Acres and acres of moss covered rocks.

  • @PaulCoxC
    @PaulCoxC 2 роки тому +59

    Really interesting reforestation project, I love that we aren't just doing it for carbon capture but that we're thinking about it in the bigger picture of restoring natural ecosystems. Good job Hannah with finding this.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +5

      Indeed, good job Hannah!

    • @lepotdefleur9906
      @lepotdefleur9906 2 роки тому +4

      Sadly, you gonna have to go to brazil next, that equatorial forest is getting killed fast.

  • @raymiemiller1455
    @raymiemiller1455 2 роки тому +2

    The fact that most Icelandic reforesting projects are planting non-natives is very sad - glad you can be there to do the right thing and hopefully inspire others!

    • @sbaumgartner9848
      @sbaumgartner9848 5 місяців тому

      Yes. I hadn't thought about how with climate changing different species would be needed. I was in Iceland a month ago. It was an incredible experience.

  • @LeaveCurious
    @LeaveCurious 2 роки тому +3

    Awesome project & video Mossy Earth!

  • @Inkling777
    @Inkling777 2 роки тому +12

    Marvelous! You might be interested in something my brother-in-law did. A coal company in Alabama was required to restore to forest a large area covered with the tailings from mining. It was proving expensive and destructive as they felt forced to buy topsoil to cover the tailings. Then my brother-in-laws noticed that the problem wasn't the lack of soil. Trees were beginning to move into the edges of that tailing where there was forest shading. The problem was that the blackness made the area too hot for trees to grow. Shade that and trees could grow there and slowly restore the soil.

  • @shawnburns3996
    @shawnburns3996 2 роки тому

    Thank you brothers and sisters for caring for nature and restoring the ancient Norse lands

  • @jessc3007
    @jessc3007 2 роки тому +2

    I've never been to Iceland but all the footage I've ever seen, the desolate treeless landscape stood out to me. I did not know it had forests in the past, but if it had forests before, it can do again! This is a worthwhile project.

    • @sbaumgartner9848
      @sbaumgartner9848 5 місяців тому

      What time of year were you there? I was there last month (June) and most everything was a beautiful green. Watch Just Icelandic videos on UA-cam and you will see video footage of the entire island at various times of the year.

  • @Thoracius
    @Thoracius 2 роки тому +7

    My great-grandparents started planting trees on our property on a mountainside just outside of Reykjavik starting in the 1930s. Very rare to see such a mature forest in Iceland. A beautiful mix of birch, rowan, cottonwood/aspens, spruce, pine, larch, maple, sycamore. With the sheep gone from the area and global warming, it's been amazing watching it start to really take off over the last 20 years. Of course it's nothing like forests in other countries, but these are difficult conditions. The heavy wet snow this winter snapped a number of trees in half and stripped the branches. The most dangerous thing for mature trees in Iceland though is Icelanders. They value direct sunlight over tree shade.
    Question -- why do you have to till the moss? Birch and willow seem to grow just fine in the mossy landscape here.

    • @sbaumgartner9848
      @sbaumgartner9848 5 місяців тому +1

      This is a wonderful story about how your great-grandparents starting to plant trees in the 1930s. I heard at one point there were 2 million sheep (not that long ago) and they took over a lot of the land; plus < 1% of the land is suitable for agriculture. I was in Iceland last month and it was an incredible experience. I can understand why early settlers cut down the trees but I'm saddened to hear so many Icelanders are cutting down trees for direct sunlight. I've seen videos where people have planted trees around their home/property as wind and snow breaks. I can see that being useful but I don't think the trees needs to be too close to the house.

  • @ChrisandKen
    @ChrisandKen 2 роки тому +8

    Your channel deserves so much more attention! We have been to Iceland and it just seems so natural that the island and its ecosystem is without trees. Very surprised to learn that Iceland once had so much area covered in forests. Only goes to show what a massive negative impact we humans have had on nature... keep up the excellent work guys!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +1

      Thank you for the nice comment :) big update on the Icealand project coming this month! - Duarte

  • @lindamclean8809
    @lindamclean8809 2 роки тому

    What a wonderful project..........keeping on keeping on people..........people power works..........they are regreening the Sahara a bit at a time.........perseverance is the key.........blessings to you all. ❤️❤️😁😁

  • @alexsmith5501
    @alexsmith5501 2 роки тому +1

    Thanks

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      Thank you Alex! We really appreciate your support on this project :D - Cheers, Duarte

  • @BadYossa
    @BadYossa 2 роки тому +1

    Fascinating project, with very worthy goals. We need more people like Hannah on this planet 👍

  • @MossyEarth
    @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +1

    Looks like I said east... I meant west 🤦‍♂️ as you can see on the map.. - Cheers, Duarte

  • @hannahkirkland5712
    @hannahkirkland5712 2 роки тому +46

    This is a super exciting project! I can't wait to get it going this summer!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +3

      Well done getting this project setup Hannah! - Cheers, Duarte

    • @TheTdZt
      @TheTdZt 2 роки тому +2

      Yes well done thinking outside the box for this one 👏

    • @notashroom
      @notashroom 2 роки тому

      I'm thrilled to see so many eco restoration projects re-greening the Earth, reversing sometimes thousands of years of unsustainable land use such as overgrazing, giving local people the most immediate benefits of stopping erosion, reversing desertification and so on, and benefitting us all with carbon capture. I think projects like this may make a huge difference in the long run when it comes to climate driven migration (and the violence, hunger, and disease that can accompany it) and finding ways to feed the world in sustainable ways.

    • @martinjohnsson1525
      @martinjohnsson1525 2 роки тому +3

      @@notashroom Yes and when the forest is mature it is a perfect grazing area again aswell. Keeping erosion in check and also keeping the balance up with natural pruning so it doesn't get to thick with coppice shoots or brushwood. A win win I'd say in the long run.

    • @notashroom
      @notashroom 2 роки тому +1

      @@martinjohnsson1525 it's almost funny how the more we learn about our world, the more we find that some ancient peoples often labeled "primitive" were more advanced than modern society at land and resource management. It would be funny, if the consequences of our deviations weren't so tragic.

  • @sketchy5782
    @sketchy5782 2 роки тому +38

    It’s amazing how dedicated our community is to going green
    Áfram í markið! 🇮🇸🇮🇸🇮🇸

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +9

      I must say, it has been an absolute pleasure working with the Icelandic Forest Service. It is a forestry service with ambition which is rare.. :) - Cheers, Duarte

    • @OctapezOficial
      @OctapezOficial 2 роки тому +1

      LOVE ICELAND, best wishes from Mexico

    • @arolemaprarath6615
      @arolemaprarath6615 2 роки тому +2

      Hola İsląnđ.

  • @BK-qp8zp
    @BK-qp8zp 9 місяців тому +1

    We were stationed in Iceland (Keflavik NAS) in the early 1980s, and had a son born there, so I've always kind of followed what is going on there since then. I consider it to have been a privilege to have lived in Iceland, to learn about a place so different from regular American culture. I am so happy to learn about the reforestation project there! Those of us returning to the States with toddlers had to teach them what trees were. I will make a donation to the cause. I'm scared for Iceland right now because of all the chaos caused by the tectonic plates. However, I am glad to see how much they are allowing tourism now and hope that will help ease some of the financial burden from all the upheaval going on. Good wishes for Iceland and the reforestation project!

    • @sbaumgartner9848
      @sbaumgartner9848 5 місяців тому +1

      Iceland would have been quite a different but still incredible experience in the early '80s. Lucky for you to have had this experience. I love the story about teaching your kids what trees were when you returned to the US. I was just in Iceland last month. It was an incredible experience and it was interesting to see where there were trees ( and in some places surprisingly large) and where it was barren. We didn't make it to the north like to Akureyi, but I've been watching Just Icelandic UA-cam videos. I'm so impressed with how attractive the small towns are and how many good sized trees there are in these areas.

  • @antoniocpk
    @antoniocpk 2 роки тому +4

    Awesome work guys, your projects are truly meaningful!

  • @JR-bj3uf
    @JR-bj3uf 2 роки тому

    I like the fact that you are taking real, concrete steps to address climate change that involve working with local people and offering something of value to them and to their culture.

  • @tobstar817
    @tobstar817 2 роки тому

    Danke!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      Danke my friend ! - Cheers, Duarte

  • @newdawnrecordings
    @newdawnrecordings 2 роки тому +1

    Very interesting video, what an amazing place! Thank you ☀️

  • @amandahugginkiss9119
    @amandahugginkiss9119 2 роки тому +10

    I absolutely love mossy earth and what you guys are doing. Ever since I was a little kid I hoped to be apart of an organization like this. I’d love to be out there with you guys reforesting the land. I wish I was. You guys are doing an amazing job, keep up the good work!!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +1

      Thank you my friend! Your words mean a lot to us. Do you have any projects local to your area that you could get involved in? - Cheers, Duarte

  • @polska-ukrayina
    @polska-ukrayina 2 роки тому +55

    I can't wait to see how you and other amazing people will help restore Iceland to the former ecosystem of the past. Hopefully, this will just be the start of helping ecosystems thrive and save species. Even if it takes 1750 years, I will be glad. But if I don't live that long, (which I probably won't) I can hope that a big change will happen and help people recognize that they can help. :)

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +4

      Couldn’t agree more. Thank you for the kind words my friend :) - Cheers, Duarte

  • @turdferguson3475
    @turdferguson3475 2 роки тому +1

    A major part of the beauty of Iceland is the ability to see the bare landscape and not just another forest.

    • @sbaumgartner9848
      @sbaumgartner9848 5 місяців тому

      I agree. However I heard when the Vikings first settled there over 1000 years ago, about 25% of the land was covered in trees. Plus with < 1 % of the land currently suitable for agriculture the country desperately needs a lot more trees. We don't need to worry about the island loosing a lot of it's bare magnificent landscape; however a sizeable amount of the landscape has been negatively affected from volcanos and lava and tree cutting.

  • @karlbjornson7482
    @karlbjornson7482 2 роки тому

    Thanks!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      No, thank you Karl! :) We are really excited to work in Iceland! - Cheers, Duarte

  • @riflebird4842
    @riflebird4842 2 роки тому +3

    Very nice project 🔥 proud of you guys. We need such projects in every country.

  • @RCSVirginia
    @RCSVirginia 2 роки тому +33

    What I like most about this is the fact that y'all are planting Birch, Tea Leaf Willow, Rowan and Aspen, which are native trees that used to dominate Iceland's forests. As you note in this video, this will benefit other flora and fauna that are native, too, to the island. More reforesting projects in the world should take this approach.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +8

      That is exactly why we are doing things this way yes :). I am glad you like the project! - Cheers, Duarte

  • @scylozy
    @scylozy 2 роки тому +7

    Cool project! I want to mention that I have heard that more recent theories point out that the effects of sheep and goats were previously underappreciated in how much deforestation they caused. Since they had no natural predators, they were left to roam free, grazing on every small tree and their roots. This wouldn't just mean preventing natural regrowth of a deforested area, but also a slow deforestation over centuries with no one noticing. With fewer and fewer new trees, eventually the older trees die and the forest disappears.
    To assume Vikings were the primary factor is to assume 40-50k people chopped 25-40.000km2 of forests in a couple of centuries without taking into account newer trees. A 1000km2 of forest is a lot to chop with simple axes basic tools. Not to say that it didn't play a part, its just that if the vikings were this potent at cutting down trees, there wouldn't be many trees left in Norway and Sweden :p
    I just like pointing this out whenever I hear of people saying that the vikings chopped everything down, they are still responsible for it anyway :)

  • @aliahammedshawon9152
    @aliahammedshawon9152 2 роки тому

    Marvelous project guys !! True inspiration for current generation .

  • @lomelyo
    @lomelyo 2 роки тому +3

    I don't understand how this channel doesn't have more subs. Amazing production quality and one of the most educative nature content I've seen in UA-cam.

    • @joaquimbarbosa896
      @joaquimbarbosa896 2 роки тому

      You would be surprised to know they had 1.5k like 2 weeks ago
      And than they started rising all of a suden for some reason

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +3

      Yes, 1 month ago we were at 1000 subs and it took us 1 year to get to that. So this has been an explosion :) The algorithm picked up two of our videos and then people started watching all the others and subbing and it has been amazing :) - Cheers, Duarte

    • @joaquimbarbosa896
      @joaquimbarbosa896 2 роки тому

      @@MossyEarth Your video on China sure made miracles

  • @Hello-xh3rx
    @Hello-xh3rx 2 роки тому +8

    I’m from Russia, Novgorod and I’m really addicted to Scandinavian culture, the sagas and skalds and brave warriors and rough lands, respect and love to my brother and sisters may we drink and live together in peace 🇷🇺❤️

  • @lukask2597
    @lukask2597 2 роки тому +8

    Man, this is so inspiring to me to see you guys working on so many projects that have HUGE impacts on not only the local environments but also the world. It's a shame you guys don't have more subscribers and peopling seeing this but I think you will get there one day. Really makes me wonder if I could do similar things (on a much smaller scale of course, maybe just helping plant native trees and get rid of invasive ones) in the future. Keep on doing what you guys are because it's so important and inspires so many people already.
    Where I live we suffer from the invasive Bradford Pear Tree and it can grow in many soil conditions (the worst and the best) while reaching 15 feet in just 8-10 years. Because of its rapid growth, it beats out most of the native trees while spreading its seeds all over through birds eating its pears. I would recommend looking them up if you don't know what they are because they are a major ecological problem here in the US.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +2

      Thank you Lukas! We were at 1000 subs 1 month ago so there has been some big growth recently :) - Cheers, Duarte

  • @da_ostrichyeet7999
    @da_ostrichyeet7999 2 роки тому +1

    Great video! I wish you guys all the success!

  • @robertfaucher3750
    @robertfaucher3750 2 роки тому +6

    I've always wondered what the original forests were like. I think people don't take enough time to think about what species were on the island and what species would have been there if humans hadn't arrived. In particular, a really cool plant that's relatively rare that could be grown there is Greenland Mountain Ash, but almost no one talks about it outside of Greenland.

  • @Absforlife
    @Absforlife 2 роки тому

    This channel is so under rated it needs more subscribers.

  • @bertibear1300
    @bertibear1300 2 роки тому +2

    It was warm in the medieval period, we grew grapes in northern England.

  • @ryanboylan4573
    @ryanboylan4573 2 роки тому +1

    love watching videos on my favorite place

  • @findencbcndn1748
    @findencbcndn1748 2 роки тому +1

    As a team this makes me have hope for my future so thank you😊

  • @mauritsponnette
    @mauritsponnette 2 роки тому +2

    Good luck! This could be the start of a new chapter for Iceland! 🙏🌱

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +2

      Well, Iceland has been on this journey for a few years now. We are just trying to make it go a bit faster :) - Cheers, Duarte

    • @mauritsponnette
      @mauritsponnette 2 роки тому +1

      @@MossyEarth that's great! The exposure on UA-cam doesn't hurt either (both for Iceland and for your project 😊)

  • @TheBobador
    @TheBobador 2 роки тому +2

    Lets make Iceland even more beautiful! 🙌❤

  • @jakubbanas1351
    @jakubbanas1351 2 роки тому

    Thats so awesome, I'm moving from the UK to Iceland in August and this is a great thing to see

  • @raquetdude
    @raquetdude 2 роки тому +5

    Please look into the woodlands of Greenland. It’s incredibly small but very unique and isolated.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +2

      I saw some stuff about it! It was only one guy in one area that really did it right? - Cheers, Duarte

    • @raquetdude
      @raquetdude 2 роки тому

      @@MossyEarth I think that started it yes.
      Greenland Trees is the major player and is based out of Greenland (durh) and the Netherlands, as it’s a branch of Dasht. Unsure if Mossy Earth has done work or consulted them before.
      It’s similar to the Iceland case in many way but also has a different aspect regarding the future and how woodland/ herding is tied to the non-European people that have lived there.

  • @northernstar4811
    @northernstar4811 2 роки тому +2

    Excellent. Iceland is a great location for planting trees.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      One that needs it a lot! - Cheers, Duarte

  • @EasterWitch
    @EasterWitch 2 роки тому

    I went to Iceland once as a teen. We had a very nice guide showing us around and she told us a lot about the reforestation efforts. They had many problems in the beginning, mistakenly getting Siberian dwarf pine, and saplings from Scandinavia bringing pests that ate what had been planted. She proudly showed us "Iceland's only forest" that to me who comes from forest central in Sweden seemed very tiny.

  • @firefox39693
    @firefox39693 2 роки тому +1

    I had a similar idea for tree planting initiatives across my country. I live in Canada. Our winters are brutal across almost the whole country. Across Iceland, you should reach out to volunteers who would be interested in raising saplings in people's homes, inside businesses, and inside public spaces like schools, community centres, etc.
    If they are raised indoors during 1 winter, then they might be able to grow big enough to be planted outside in these areas without the risk of being grazed on by animals.

    • @masterseems8005
      @masterseems8005 2 роки тому +1

      This has been done in Canada for years. Nearly every province has a tree-planting initiative & approx. 500 million seedlings are planted each year.

  • @samesource
    @samesource 2 роки тому

    Thank you for focusing on native species. Great work here.

  • @matthewdavies5875
    @matthewdavies5875 2 роки тому +5

    I'm really looking forward to visiting this project in a few years from now. Great video Duarte and Hannah.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      I think it is one of those where we will be able to see the result really clearly!

  • @BibBobBibOnVacation
    @BibBobBibOnVacation 2 роки тому +2

    Great project 👌🌸

  • @williammcduff6531
    @williammcduff6531 2 роки тому +3

    Looking forward to the new plantings and glad to see member contributions put to good use.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +1

      thank you William, we will most certainly do so. I am glad you like this project :) - Cheers, Duarte

  • @teresaoftheandes6279
    @teresaoftheandes6279 2 роки тому +2

    I would love to visit Iceland.

  • @adjacent891
    @adjacent891 3 місяці тому

    No Icelandic professional gets a job here in forestry. Only volunteers from foreign countries. Thank you for your good work. Good to have free workers for all our forestry needs...

  • @ofacid3439
    @ofacid3439 2 роки тому +7

    Icelanders are incredible. Been in Iceland in 2019 and was amazed how green and densely forested it actually is, at least Reykjavík and Suðurland. Nearly every apt building or a country house has a small grove in its backyard, farms and fields are sheltered by trees and reforestation is strongly supported by the government for many decades. It was pleasure to see siberian larch has been acclimatized so well there that it forced Icelanders to start their own timber industry. That nation never ceases to amaze me

  • @DH-xf2qp
    @DH-xf2qp 2 роки тому +8

    Such a great project, look forward to future updates.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      Thank you DH! You can expect one in late July :) - Cheers, Duarte

  • @williamjrgensen9930
    @williamjrgensen9930 2 роки тому +1

    Hey Mossy Earth, I really enjoy your videos! They’re informing and entertaining. You’re truly doing us all a favor.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +1

      Thank you William! I really appreciate that my friend :) - Cheers, Duarte

    • @williamjrgensen9930
      @williamjrgensen9930 2 роки тому

      @@MossyEarth I hope one day your mission will bring you to my country Denmark!

  • @Anonymous-do2sm
    @Anonymous-do2sm Рік тому

    I love the native focus, and not focus on CO2. Great job guys

  • @KindinEmil
    @KindinEmil 2 роки тому +2

    Im excited to see and learn how you guys work. I will be planting up to a tousand trees on my farm up in the north this summer

  • @kugul1683
    @kugul1683 2 роки тому +13

    Really cool! I've heard there also used to be a birch forest in Greenland, but it is only left in the Qinngua Valley

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +6

      My girlfriend wants to go there to work as doctor for a year so maybe I will end up finding a way to create a project in greenland too :) - Cheers, Duarte

    • @kugul1683
      @kugul1683 2 роки тому +1

      @@MossyEarth That would be awesome!

  • @ILCapo-mo5jj
    @ILCapo-mo5jj 2 роки тому +1

    Well done! I will check out your website and see if I can help.

  • @Greye13
    @Greye13 2 роки тому +2

    I love trees and I am so pleased to see this happening. You definitely have a new subscriber. Best wishes for all of your reforestation efforts around the world, as well as any non-tree projects you are working on.

  • @notashroom
    @notashroom 2 роки тому +1

    I hope in your next video about this project you'll explain more about the impact of the moss on the Icelandic ecosystem and why it requires tilling, which I've learned elsewhere is usually better avoided in order to avoid disrupting the soil microorganisms and the mycelium network. Obviously there are going to be exceptions to any "usually", and it sounds like this is one, so I will be interested to learn more. Thanks for what you're doing for the benefit of all of us!

  • @bernadmanny
    @bernadmanny 2 роки тому +17

    This video couldn't have shown up at a better time I've been thinking about the possibility of rewilding Iceland in the last week and to learn that people have already started feels so good. Though I'm surprised that the native flora doesn't have a greater amount of evergreens, I had imagined it to be more like Norway/Sweden/Finland.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +14

      It is really interesting though. The cause for that were several glaciations which wiped out most species of trees. I will quote the Icelandic forest service here "Fossil evidence indicates that Iceland was generally forested during the mid to late Tertiary (5-15 million years ago), with tree genera including Sequoia, Magnolia, Sassafras, Pterocarya and many others, indicating that the climate was warm-temperate. Beech (Fagus sp.) forests were very common for a time. By the late Pliocene, shortly before the onset of Pleistocene glaciations, boreal-type forests of pine, spruce, birch and alder predominated, indicative of a cooler climate. The fossil evidence for these forests is found in West and East Iceland but the forests, in their time, grew in the central volcanic belt, where they were preserved and fossilised between layers of lava. Tectonic movement has since brought them to where they are now, the oldest being farthest east and west.
      With succeeding glaciations, the Icelandic flora became ever more species-poor. Pines survived the first few glacial periods up to about 1.1 million years ago and fossil evidence of alder is found during interglacials to about 500,000 years ago. The only forest forming tree species to return to the present interglacial is downy birch (Betula pubescens). Other native tree species found in Icelandic forests are rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), which is uncommon, and the extremely rare aspen (Populus tremula) found naturally in only 6 locations, along with abundant tea-leaved willow (Salix phylicifolia), which is usually a shrub but occasionally reaches tree size. In fact, all of these species more often grow as shrubs rather than trees in Iceland and none of them ever get very big, roughly 15 meters in height being the maximum for the birch, rowan and aspen." - Cheers, Duarte

    • @Glenni91N
      @Glenni91N 2 роки тому +7

      @@MossyEarth It's actually very similar here in western Norway too, while most of Western Norway has evergreen trees today, such as Sitka spruce from Canada, these are now considered a problem, their needles make the soil sour, and they kill any other trees trying to grow. Western Norway was more like Iceland, leafy, but just like in Iceland we cut a lot of it down 1000 and 500 years ago.

    • @martinjohnsson1525
      @martinjohnsson1525 2 роки тому +2

      @@MossyEarth I wonder if Corylus Avellana would be able to grow on southern iceland, it's perfect food for both birds, grazing animals and rodents.

    • @petermgruhn
      @petermgruhn 2 роки тому +1

      @@Glenni91N [make the soil sour] And there you have it. "Acid rain."

  • @utgardloki6129
    @utgardloki6129 2 роки тому +2

    WoW !! what a amazing place. I'm definitely going there for my summer vacation

  • @jezwc
    @jezwc 2 роки тому

    Native trees are the way to go if we are to truly rewild - well done! 👍🏻

  • @Jules-iq6ks
    @Jules-iq6ks 2 роки тому +2

    Good luck for this project ! Can't wait to see it come to life

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      Thank you Jules! - Cheers, Duarte

  • @womenfrom0202
    @womenfrom0202 2 роки тому

    I only have been in Iceland once, and was told there used to be forests in some of the areas we visited, so good to learn that my thoughts back then are actually put in place.

  • @brendanjamesboyle1288
    @brendanjamesboyle1288 2 роки тому

    Well done,truly inspiring and transformative!

  • @Gnarmarmilla
    @Gnarmarmilla 2 роки тому +1

    This is so very wonderful to hear. May God bless you and prosper you all, may The Lord Jesus send you the resources you need and the grace and favor from heaven that will truly prosper this project. Amen
    What good news to hear what you’re doing! To hear that righteous and understanding people are working to save the invaluable resources and gifts that so many of our ancestors mistakenly laid to waste through carelessness, reckless greed, and sometimes because misfortunes. I feel lucky to be among the first 30k subscribers to this channel.

  • @jwh0122
    @jwh0122 2 роки тому +2

    What a great project! I read about the evolution of ecosystems in Iceland, Scandinavia and Greenland in Jared Diamond's book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      A great book! - Cheers, Duarte

  • @barryohagan9278
    @barryohagan9278 2 роки тому +2

    Cool project should do one for Northern Irelands Oak forests

  • @c-monsta
    @c-monsta 2 роки тому

    Well done guys. This is awesome.

  • @philippbrogli779
    @philippbrogli779 2 роки тому

    Greetings from Switzerland. This is the first video I've watched from you and I'm a member now.
    I like the cold regions and the flood plains of Europa. I want to go to such regions at some point. So far I haven't been to many of them. I have visited the Knivskjellodden in Norway during my exchange semester in Finland. But that's about it. And ever since Corona I haven't left Switzerland at all. But I guess hiking in the Alps is a good alternative.
    Thanks for the work you do.

  • @jonaspadgett8161
    @jonaspadgett8161 2 роки тому

    Seriously thank you, one day I strive to do projects this big

  • @loafer1989
    @loafer1989 2 роки тому

    I visited Reykjavik, keflavik and flew to Hofn to go Summer snowmobiling on a part of Jostedalsbreen Glacier. Beautiful country.

  • @godrinkwater8077
    @godrinkwater8077 2 роки тому

    I'm so glad this video came up recommended. I just came back from visiting, and it's great to have more information about how exactly reforestation is being handled. I bet the outcome is going to be beautiful 20-30 years down the road.

  • @nunosalgado4219
    @nunosalgado4219 2 роки тому +2

    Love this new project! Great to see Mossy Earth grow!! 🙌

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      Thank you Nuno ;) - Cheers, Duarte

  • @AmparitoVic
    @AmparitoVic 2 роки тому

    Amazing work guys! Keep going, call out the gouvernement and islanders to help out! Good luck, Grts from Belgium.

  • @Arnep08
    @Arnep08 2 роки тому +3

    I’ve waited for this! Totally amazing

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому +1

      Glad you like the project! - Cheers, Duarte

  • @roopa4950
    @roopa4950 2 роки тому

    Hope to see more & more trees which converts into a thick forest. Wish you all the success. Love from India!

  • @troggzor9720
    @troggzor9720 2 роки тому +2

    I just like how you guys respond to many comments and give answers, your videos are great and I hope the channel can grow and u can make money for the projects

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      Thank you my friend! We are doing our best and it is nice to see you all appreciate that :) - Cheers, Duarte

  • @tonfaas3440
    @tonfaas3440 2 роки тому +3

    Great project!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      Thank you Ton! - Cheers, Duarte

  • @jeffhaakinson859
    @jeffhaakinson859 2 роки тому

    Great work. Very interesting to watch

  • @TDZ_
    @TDZ_ 2 роки тому +2

    Another great video guys! Keep up the great work

  • @columbiascouse
    @columbiascouse 2 роки тому

    Great work guys, good luck

  • @tacticplanner7188
    @tacticplanner7188 2 роки тому +1

    What an amazing project as a person of Nordic decent this is a spectacular program to restore the land that over a millenia has been long forgotten. Interestingly the UK has a very similar condition but they are ahead by decades. The unfortunate truth is that in many places deforestation is a problem with some tree species extinct or close to extinction our forests are a cornucopia of life that all of us need to spend a bit more effort in reversing this trend where ever you live on this beautiful world.

  • @redpinkgreenknitting1096
    @redpinkgreenknitting1096 2 роки тому +5

    I recommend adding native mycelium/mushroom spores to each tree and actually using raw sheep wool as fertilizer and moisture reserve.

  • @timurozkurt5239
    @timurozkurt5239 2 роки тому +2

    Great work Hannah! And a very informative video Duarte, it really gives the wider context to why interventions like these are needed. I bet you didn’t envisage clearing tonnes of moss when you started Mossy Earth!

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      Certainly did not 😅 and I still have mixed feelings about it! Maybe we need to find a moss restoration project somewhere else 😂 - Cheers, Duarte

  • @pmeckiffe
    @pmeckiffe 2 роки тому +6

    Very cool project! Really cool to understand what the forest cover was only a thousand years ago, and understand how the current rate of afforestation will take to get near to that... 1750 years 😱

    • @MossyEarth
      @MossyEarth  2 роки тому

      A bit too long for most people's ability to set long term goals 😅 - Cheers, Duarte