From biodiversity collapse to forest solutions: What we learned at Naturmødet 2025

This article is based on our podcast episode released on the 3rd of June 2025. [Listen to the full episode here.]

From biodiversity collapse to forest solutions: What we learned at Naturmødet 2025

Each May, 30,000 people gather in Hirtshals for Naturmødet—Denmark’s open-air summit for all things wild. It’s where scientists, schoolchildren, ministers and landowners meet on equal terms to ask: How do we actually restore nature?

We went there not to deliver a speech, but to listen. Because Naturmødet isn’t about grand statements—it’s about difficult truths, conflicting opinions, and the urgent need to find common ground.

Over three packed days, we spoke with five guests who each see nature from a different angle—but agree on one thing: time is short, and we must act now.

Alexander Holm: “The sea is Denmark’s most abused ecosystem”

Nature advocate and broadcaster Alexander Holm pulls no punches: “On land, we’ve destroyed most of what there is to destroy. At sea, we’re still killing it—just more quietly.”

He points to bottom trawling, nitrogen runoff and a culture of neglect as symptoms of how Denmark treats its oceans. “It’s like we hate the sea,” he says. “We troll it, dump into it—and it never makes headlines.”

But Naturmødet, he insists, is a space of hope: “It’s the one place where people who care—who argue, disagree and get drunk together—can meet on a windy harbour and start fixing things.”

Signe Normand: “Only 1% of Danish biodiversity indicators show recovery”

Professor Signe Normand, who chairs the Danish Biodiversity Council, is frank: “We are in a biodiversity crisis. And in Denmark, we’ve only stopped the decline in 1% of the cases.”

She advocates for strict protection of large, coherent nature areas—paired with high-tech monitoring: remote sensing, eDNA, drones. But warns: “Biodiversity responds slowly. We must measure whether we create the conditions for recovery—not just count the species.”

Her take-home message? “We need more space, better quality—and the courage to unlearn old habits.”

Bengt Holst: “The wolf is not the problem. We are.”

Chairman of the Danish Animal Ethics Council and former zoo director Bengt Holst is known for calm in the storm—and the wolf debate is certainly one. “It’s returned on its own. It’s not dangerous to humans. But we’ve forgotten how to live with it.”

He sees the conflict as symbolic: a society torn between emotion and fact. “We ask people in Africa to live with lions—but we can’t tolerate a single wolf in Jutland?”

His recipe: facts over fear, legal tools for problem individuals, and a democratic space to disagree. “Management of nature,” he says, “is management of people. That’s what this meeting teaches us.”

Rasmus Willumsen: “Forests are where carbon, biodiversity and building materials meet”

From historical land restoration to digital forest maps, Rasmus Willumsen from Dalgas explores how Denmark’s landscape has evolved—and how today’s foresters must navigate production, climate goals and biodiversity at once.

“Forest owners want more than timber,” he notes. “They want carbon data, traceability, and to know they’re doing the right thing.”

With experience across the Baltic region, he sees increasing demand for sustainable solutions and documentation. “The forest can’t solve everything. But it’s one of the best tools we have.”

Anton Johnsen: “We invite life back in—one tree hollow at a time”

With a chainsaw in one hand and a biodiversity mission in the other, Anton Johnsen of Krat & Ko is pioneering biodiversity thinnings and veteran tree techniques.

“We mimic the structure of old trees by creating hollows,” he explains. “And something always moves in. There’s a huge demand for homes in the forest.”

He also speaks openly about the harassment some conservationists face. “It’s not just personal. It slows down projects and wastes taxpayer money. That’s a problem for all of us.”

Yet his tone is hopeful. “If we get the facts out—and keep talking calmly—we can build support for a wilder, richer landscape.”

Building bridges on a windy harbour

At Naturmødet, there are no VIP passes. Just tents, talks, kids, scientists, and the odd politician. The goal? Less talk, more work. Fewer speeches, more solutions.

As one guest told us: “It’s not about planting trees. It’s about leaving nature alone—and letting it plant itself.”

From wolves to tree hollows, and from ocean health to forest maps, Naturmødet 2025 reminded us that nature doesn’t need perfection—it needs persistence.

And maybe a bit more room to breathe.