New Forest Preserved Forever on Gotland
New Forest Preserved Forever on Gotland
Yay! Today we’re celebrating a fantastic milestone for Gotland’s natural environment together with you. A stunning limestone conifer forest on Gotland has been acquired by Naturarvet.
Naturarvet We signed a contract and gained access to the forest known as “Runes’ old-growth forest ” on June 15, 2026. Now we’ve also been granted the right of purchase, so the forest is ours.
The First Forest of the Natural Heritage on Gotland
Runes’ old-growth forest is located outside the village of Bäl, east of Visby on Gotland. The 18.16-hectare property lies 37 meters above sea level, with open plains to the west and forested areas to the east, in a region that includes several small and a few larger nature reserves. To the north lies the Hejnum Hällar Nature Reserve, and to the southeast, just a stone’s throw away, lies the somewhat larger Bälsalvret Nature Reserve.
The forest consists of a coniferous forest area of varying character. The terrain is gently rolling, with damp, forested depressions and higher-elevation, drier coniferous forest areas on gravel ridges. In the center of the property lies Killingmyren, which covers just over 1 ha.
The former owner, Rune Johansson, entered into a 50-year conservation agreement with the County Administrative Board on May 15, 2009. Thanks to an offer from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation ( Naturarvet ) to take over the property from the owner’s estate, the forest is now preserved for all time. A thousand thanks to all of you donors who made this possible!
The Story Behind Runes old-growth forest
We have chosen to name the forest “Rune’s old-growth forest ” in honor of the former landowner. Rune was born in 1953 in Bäl and always had a deep love for the land and the forest there. During his childhood, the forest was owned and managed by his grandparents, Knut and Sonja, who ran the farm using only a horse and cart. Rune recalled, among other things, that as a child he used to go boating and ice skating on Killingmyr, which lies in the middle of the forest. He loved spending time in the forest throughout his life and taught his children early on how to navigate using a map and compass.
After his grandparents passed away, Rune inherited the farm and continued to care for the forest in the spirit of his grandfather. In 2009, Rune signed a nature conservation agreement to ensure the continued protection of the forest, which meant so much to him. One story he loved to tell was about when the Swedish Transport Administration wanted to clear the forest to improve visibility. It ended with an on-site meeting in the forest between Rune, the Swedish Transport Administration, and officials from the County Administrative Board, where the Swedish Transport Administration agreed to adjust its clearing plans to protect particularly mature trees. Rune passed away in 2025.