"A gift for my future relatives and fellow human beings"
Vidar Kling Ek is 37 years old, works as an HR consultant and has been a forest patron of Naturarvet since 2023. Read more about his thoughts on patronage, forests and natural heritage.
What made you want to be a forest patron?
I want to take an active role in helping to create more areas where nature can live its own life with as little human impact as possible. When I heard about Naturarvet , I got a giddy feeling that I can help create natural areas that will be preserved long after I am alive. I can actually do something very concrete for nature and people in the future.
What would you say to others who are thinking about becoming a forest patron?
Try it! There's a lot of research that says that giving money to charity makes us happy, and it certainly does for me. I think several times a month that I'm helping to protect woodlands, it feels so damn good! If you are thinking about donating money try it, it's hard to stop : )
What is your relationship with forests and nature?
I spend a lot of time in the forest and nature, preferably in the form of outdoor life, but also hunting and fishing. I feel at home in the forest. I also get very excited about biodiversity. It's uplifting when you encounter a wealth of species and forests that are really alive. Sometimes I forget what a strong impact the forest has on me, but after spending time in the forest I am reminded again, it is a very peaceful feeling.
How do you want your contribution to make a difference?
I don't have the opportunity to buy my own land and do the same thing as Naturarvet. But I can, together with others, through Naturarvet as a platform, contribute to something that makes a concrete difference. I see how we humans make a lot of choices and things that are not beneficial to our planet. But this particular action feels very good. I feel like I'm giving a gift to my future relatives and fellow human beings. Here are a lot of beautiful forests you can visit, it took 100s of years for them to become what they are today, we thought of you!
What do you think the future of old-growth forests looks like and what do you hope Naturarvet can achieve?
I really don't know, there is so much that is unclear today about what climate change will bring about. Nature is good at adapting and creating its own balance. We humans are less good at that, we don't spread our risks in the same way, we don't work as actively for diversity. I hope that the old-growth forests I get to help preserve will be places where nature can take its own course and is allowed to do so. I think that is beautiful.