The lava expert who took a winding path

Naturarvets expert council is now being strengthened with the addition of biologist Lars Salomon, who is a specialist in epiphytic* lichens. With a lifelong interest in nature, a detour via the IT industry, and a strong commitment to protecting forests, he contributes both knowledge and drive to Naturarvets work to preserve valuable natural areas.

A winding road

Lars' relationship with nature began early. He got his first microscope at the age of five, and his childhood bedroom bookshelf was lined with non-fiction books about species and ecology.

"I've always been curious about the details of nature," says Lars.

But the path to becoming a biologist has not been straightforward. He trained and worked in the IT industry for many years before deciding to study marine biology. Just before completing his master's degree, he was offered a top job in IT.

"It was difficult to turn down. But after a few years, I realized that it wasn't what I wanted. What's more, I had started to get pain in my neck and shoulders from spending so many hours in front of the computer," says Lars.

So Lars went back to school and finished his studies in biology.

– There are many turning points in one's life. One of them was during the course "Cryptogams and Nature Conservation" with professor and lichen researcher Göran Thor at SLU. He is absolutely fantastic, and I have a lot to thank him for.

In the service of nature

Lars is now a field-based conservation biologist. For many years, he worked on nature value inventories, species inventories, and habitat mapping for Ekologigruppen. Today, he works independently at his own company, Salmonic. He enjoys the freedom and flexibility this brings, which takes him on assignments all over the country. 

He has also published two editions of the book "Field Flora of Indicator Species in Forests." This book is designed to help interested parties easily assess whether a forest is worthy of protection.

"Working on the book required many hours behind the camera to get good photos. It was also a lot of work to familiarize myself with the ecology of each species," says Lars.

However, the work seems to have whetted his appetite, and Lars has now found a way to combine his two careers. He is currently developing an app that will help users identify signal species. It is already available as a website – signalarter.se.

" A few things need to be improved before it works, such as more zoomed-out images, significantly more species, and the ability to distinguish trees of natural value. I also have valuable help from my partner Nellie Linander, who is a moss expert," he says, adding:

– Then we need to update everything when the new red list comes out. 

Something concrete

Lars has known about Naturarvet , and also helped to inventory a potential forest in northeastern Skåne a few years ago.

– The concept of natural heritage is brilliant. There is something tangible about buying forest and preserving it.

Lars says that he is happy to get involved and help with whatever he can and is passionate about. 

" Naturarvet a great job. But more money is needed to protect larger areas. We are at a point where we really need to protect the last remaining areas," he states, concluding:

– It feels more important than ever to do as much as you can. I want my children to have a future.

*epiphytic lichens are lichens that grow on trees without being parasitic