Nordic Forest History Conference 2026

The Green Museum will hold the Nordic Forest History Conference on 28–29 August 2026 in collaboration with Nordic forest museums, forest history societies and other forest organizations. The theme is Man and the forest – under pressure and in development.

Humans and the forest – under pressure and in development

The purpose is to re-establish and strengthen the Nordic network between forest museums, forest history societies, research environments and related organizations after a year-long break.

Theme

Forests have been exploited by humans for millennia. This has resulted in overexploitation of resources. In recent centuries, efforts have been made to think and act in a more long-term and sustainable manner, and decisions have been made about afforestation and changed forms of operation with long-term consequences. With an ongoing climate crisis and a rapidly growing population, the pressure on forests has increased. They must deliver in terms of biodiversity, climate, wood production, recreation and health.

The conference addresses these issues by looking back at history and drawing threads to the present in a Nordic, forest historical perspective. With knowledge from the past and present, good solutions can be chosen for the future.

The Green Museum

The Green Museum, Denmark's national museum for the cultural history of forests, hunting, agriculture and food, is hosting the conference. We tell the story of human use of nature.

Participants are introduced to two of the museum's newest exhibitions:

Under the Sun – 80 years of pursuit of the good life, where the guest is invited on a journey through the last eight decades of Danish history - told based on the museum's four core areas.
BIG – man and the forest, which is a magnificent and atmospheric journey through the forest's history of Denmark, with the greatest stories and most significant objects.

Conference program

Friday, August 28
Friday's program takes place at the Green Museum.

Participants from Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark will contribute with presentations on the conference's overall theme and a brief account of the current situation in the country's forests.

The presentations are in English.

Saturday, August 29
Saturday's program is a full-day excursion to

Fussingø Nature National Park, Danish Nature Agency, established in 2025 on a former estate area where agriculture and forestry have ceased, and large grazers have been introduced.
Løvenholm Gods, a foundation-owned estate with 2,860 hectares of forest managed based on sustainability criteria for people, the environment and the economy
Djursland Forestry School, part of the University of Copenhagen, where forestry and landscape engineers are educated, among other things

See detailed program here

Program for Friday, August 28, 2026
8:45 a.m. – Registration and distribution of participant materials
9:00 AM – Welcome by museum director Anne Bjerrekær, The Green Museum
9:15 AM – Iceland: 25 min. presentation and 10 min. for questions
9:50 AM – Norway: 25 min. presentation and 10 min. for questions
10:25 a.m. – Coffee break
11:00 AM – Sweden: 25 min. presentation and 10 min. for questions
11:35 AM – Finland: 25 min. presentation and 10 min. for questions
12:10 PM – Greenland: 25 min. presentation and 10 min. for questions
12:45 PM – Lunch in Madens Hus, introduction to the museum's historical kitchens and the work with living cultural heritage by museum educator Rasmus Amtkjær
1:30 p.m. – Tour of the museum's exhibition "STORT - man and the forest" by museum curator Helle Serup
2:00 PM – Faroe Islands: 25 min. presentation and 10 min. for questions
2:35 PM – Denmark: 25 min. presentation and 10 min. for questions
3:10 p.m. – Coffee break
3:30 p.m. – Joint session: Brief presentation of the current situation in the forests in each of the Nordic countries, followed by joint discussion (7-minute presentation, then plenary discussion)
5:00 PM – Tour of the museum's newest exhibition "Under the Sun - 80 Years of Pursuit of the Good Life" by Head of Communication Maria Berg Briese
5:30 PM – The program ends and there is an opportunity to see the museum's other exhibitions.
7:00 PM – Conference dinner in the museum's restaurant Den Gamle Stald

Program for Saturday, August 29, 2026
9:30 a.m. – Visit to Fussingø Nature National Park

Hosts: Project manager and special consultant for the Danish Nature Agency, Matilde Raahede and historian Christian Stærmose Chandler
Fussingø Nature National Park, Denmark's first nature national park, was established in the summer of 2025. Fussingø was previously an estate with a mosaic landscape of wetlands, meadows, fields, Fussing Sø and Skals Å surrounded by forest. Now agriculture and forestry have ceased, and large grazers have been introduced.

At 11.30 – Lunch with sandwiches
12:15 PM – Departure from Fussingø Nature National Park
1:00 PM – Visit to Løvenholm Manor

Hosts: Estate inspector Jens Chr. Dahl and forester Daniel Hintz
The foundation-owned Løvenholm Gods operates a 2,860-hectare forestry based on sustainability criteria around people, the environment and the economy. The visit ends at the Eldrupgård Forestry School.

3:30 p.m. – Coffee break
4:00 PM – Tour of the Eldrupgård Forestry School

The Djursland Forestry School is a relatively newly established part of the University of Copenhagen, where, among other things, forestry and landscape engineers are educated.

5:30 PM – Tour ends

Dissemination

The speakers' presentations are published digitally on the Green Museum's website and, where possible, via partners' platforms in the other Nordic countries.

Participation and registration

The conference is aimed at researchers, museum professionals, foresters, students and others with an interest in the history and development of forests from a Nordic perspective.

You can choose to:

participate in Friday's seminar
participate in the entire conference including the excursion on Saturday

The price for participating in Friday's program, including morning coffee, lunch and afternoon coffee, but without a gala dinner, is 500 DKK.

The price for participating in Friday's program with a festive dinner (ex. drinks) is 500 DKK + cost price (which cannot yet be disclosed, as the menu has not been determined.)

The price for participating in Saturday's excursion is 500 DKK including bus transportation, sandwiches and drinks for lunch.

The price for participating in both Friday's and Saturday's program, including a gala dinner on Friday, but without accommodation, is DKK 1,700.

The price for participating in the entire conference including the excursion on Saturday is 4,400 DKK.

This payment includes:

3 nights at a 4-star hotel in Randers including breakfast
2 x lunch 3 x dinner incl. conference dinner (excl. drinks)
Coffee/Tea
Transportation between hotel and museum
Full-day excursion by bus

If you wish to bring a partner, there will be an additional charge of DKK 400 per night, which covers accommodation and breakfast. There is no guarantee that a partner will be able to get a seat on the bus on the day of the excursion.

Registration opens on May 18th, but interested parties are encouraged to reserve the days in the calendar now. As there are a limited number of places, you are also welcome to send an email to info@dgmuseum.dk about your interest, after which you will receive further information.

Questions regarding the conference should be directed to:
Helle Serup, museum curator
hs@dgmuseum.dk
+45 4196 3633

Questions regarding registration should be directed to:
info@dgmuseum.dk

Support

The conference is held with the support of The Nordic Council Cultural Foundation, the Løvenholm Foundation, Vemmetofte Monastery and the Forest and Hunting History Society.