Two experts with a passion for the riches of the forest

Sebastian Kirppu is a forest biologist, lecturer and course leader in forest inventory. For many years he has worked with natural value inventories of forests for, among others, the Swedish Forest Agency, forestry companies, County Administrative Boards and non-profit organizations. With his deep knowledge, infectious enthusiasm and ability to bring the forest ecosystem to life, he has been nominated twice for Nature Guide of the Year by the SLU Center for Nature Guides (CNV). He has also participated in Sommar i P1, Naturmorgon, Mitt i naturen and in the Science World series Slaget om skogen.

Sebastian is passionate about biodiversity and the unique values of old forests.

“It's not the trees that make the forest. The forest is everything that lives there – the entire ecosystem,” he says.

– That is precisely why the time that the forest is allowed to be in peace is crucial for the endangered species that depend on slow, natural forest dynamics.

With his experienced eye and extensive field experience, Sebastian is one of the best in the country at finding forests worth protecting. That is, places with high natural values that need to be preserved. His solid experience and sharp eye make him an invaluable force in the work of finding and being able to preserve old-growth forest in Sweden. Sebastian's commitment to forest biodiversity has earned him awards such as Environmental Hero of the Year 2011 (WWF), Silverfalken 2016 (SNF), Sture Centerwall's Prize 2018 (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences) and the Swedish Species Survival Commission's Nature Conservation Prize 2023 (SLU).

At his side is another dedicated conservationist - Pia Edfors. She is the gardener who swapped ornamental beds for old-growth forest. After twenty years in gardening and tree care, she decided to follow her inner compass and trained in nature conservation, biology and forest bathing. Today she is self-employed and works with nature value and tree inventories all over the country, all year round - always with a magnifying glass and camera in her pack.

She describes the feeling of walking in an old coniferous forest as magical:
- It's like a treasure hunt! Discovering the species that only exist where time has been left undisturbed is one of the most fascinating things I know.

Living on a large forest plot in the archipelago outside Nynäshamn, surrounded by sea, trees and silence, she draws strength and inspiration from nature every day, either from running in the terrain, with the dogs in the woods or sitting quietly in the moss with her camera in hand. Her close-ups of nature's small miracles have also been shown in exhibitions, and some motifs later became models for her art.

Together, Sebastian and Pia are strong forces in our team of nature experts. Their passion for forests, species diversity and ecological understanding, as well as their ability to find the very forests that need to be protected, make them invaluable resources in the work for a richer, wilder and more vibrant forest landscape.