One click for the forest – how Naturarvet got started

When Ann Murugan and Jenny Strand returned to the forests of their childhood after many years abroad, they were met by clear-cut areas where their beloved old-growth forests once stood. The shock was the starting point for something bigger and an idea that would grow into Naturarvet, a foundation that enables ordinary people to work together to preserve old-growth forest. This is the story of how it all began, what they learned, and what they hope for the future.

A return that changed everything

Both Jenny and Ann lived abroad for a long time, and every time they came home to visit their families in the villages outside Luleå, they realized what fantastic forests Sweden actually had. So rare, peaceful, and wild.

"In London, I really only had Hyde Park," says Jenny. "When I came home to Sweden, I realized what a unique asset our old-growth forests are."

Ann Murugan, 2005 in the Änamus Forest

But the forests of their childhood around Luleå, where they had skied, ridden horses, and played, had changed drastically. Several of their favorite places were gone. In their place, there were now only clear-cut areas. Their personal grief raised a bigger question about the actual state of Sweden's old-growth forests. When they began to investigate the matter, the statistics confirmed their feelings, namely that only about one percent of productive old-growth forest was formally protected (figures from 2003), and was therefore less protected against logging. They contacted everyone from the County Administrative Board and the Forest Agency to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and familiarized themselves with who was responsible for protecting valuable forests and how that worked.

"We wanted to understand both nature and the system in order to be able to do something that actually worked in reality," says Ann.

The work took almost a year. But the goal was clear: to find a way to give unprotected old-growth forests the strongest possible protection, for real.

The insights that gave birth to the idea

Jenny Strand, 2005 in Änamusskogen

Ann and Jenny soon realized that the problem was not only political or legal, but also democratic. Many people care about the forest, but cannot afford or do not have the opportunity to buy forest land and therefore feel that they lack a simple way to make a difference. Naturarvet 2003, there was no organization like Naturarvet the authorities did not have the resources to preserve all the forests worthy of protection that were threatened by logging. From this insight, the idea of "One Click for the Forest" was born. A digital platform where anyone could contribute financially to buying and preserving old-growth forest together with others.

"We wanted to build something that worked regardless of where people were in the world and that made it possible to contribute regardless of how much money or time could be set aside. Everything would be digital and accessible," says Jenny.

They also saw a big gap in the system. There were many private forest owners who wanted to preserve their old-growth forest, and there was also a strong desire among the authorities to do so. But there were simply not enough resources to compensate landowners in order to create nature reserves. That was where Naturarvet step in.

The foundation became a reality

In 2003, the idea took shape step by step, and the following year, in 2004, "Ett klick för skogen" was formally established as a foundation. The first website was launched that same year.

"We called our mothers and asked them to go online and click!" Jenny recalls.

But that wasn't necessary. The impact was greater than they had dared to hope for. The site received between five and ten thousand clicks per day. The website featured a pixel map showing how much forest had already been saved and how much remained. The map became a talking point, the media picked up on the initiative, and the local population became heavily involved.

Änamusskogen – the first major victory

Ann and Jenny enable the survival of the old-growth forest in Årrenjarka. (2004)

The first major acquisition was an old-growth forest Årrennjarka, which was later named Änamusskogen. An old-growth forest as a key biotope and home to, among others, old spruce bark beetles, rosewood, dwarf cup lichen, capercaillie, three-toed woodpeckers, lynx, wolverines, and bears. The purchase was both a practical breakthrough and an emotionally decisive moment.

"Once Änamusskogen's future was secured, we realized that our idea actually worked," says Ann. People can protect nature together.

Ann and Jenny won several awards, including Woman of the Earth, local and national environmental awards, and their work was also recognized by the Royal Family. Each award strengthened both their credibility and public confidence. But they are most proud of the preserved forests and the courage they had to take the step.

"We could have continued to talk about the problem. But instead, we thought solution-oriented and dared to take a chance. With our own capital as investment, without pay, and with partly double jobs and an enormous workload," says Jenny. But it was definitely worth it. That we dared to step outside our comfort zones. It changed us as people.

"Seeing that natural heritage lives on, grows, and that forest after forest is preserved is truly deeply healing," says Ann.

A story that continues

For both Jenny and Ann, working with Naturarvet became a personal journey, a development that went far beyond the forestry issue itself. Nature is still a common thread in their lives, and they live as sustainably as they can. Jenny believes that Naturarvet shaped her life and deepened her relationship with nature.

"Nature is my source of strength. That's where I do yoga, meditate, and run, and that's where I take my son," she says.

Ann has continued her work in ecology and sustainability as an eco-entrepreneur, but has also delved deeper into what she calls inner sustainability, i.e. how our thought patterns and emotions affect our ability to act for the planet. Meditation is an important tool for Ann personally and for those she guides.

" Naturarvet the beginning, and the ripples continue to spread," says Ann.

If Jenny and Ann could have their wish, they would like to see all remaining old-growth forest Sweden and Scandinavia preserved for future generations. They hope that no more old-growth forests will have to be cut down due to a lack of money, and that private forest owners will not be forced to choose between economics and nature. At the same time, they see clear threats. Continued clear-cutting, uncertain financing, and political changes may affect the ability to protect forests. They also believe that the role of forests as carbon sinks is still undervalued.

"The need for Naturarvet greater than ever, and so many people want to protect what is important and beautiful," says Jenny.

Naturarvet as "Ett klick för skogen" (A click for the forest) and two childhood friends' love for the forest ecosystem and sorrow over lost forests. It became a movement that gave thousands of people the opportunity to get involved and save nature. And our story is far from over...

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Ännamusskogen

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