Oslo city officials are making moves to protect predators in the vast forests surrounding the Norwegian capital. Many residents have reacted positively to wolves in their midst, in contrast to the fear that pervades rural areas. Newspaper Dagsavisen reports that more wolves have been tracked down in Oslo’s eastern forest known as Østmarka and the […]
Frosty forests show winter is coming
PHOTO FEATURE: While winter has arrived in much of Northern Norway and in the mountains, the Oslo area has been mostly free of snow so far. A sudden drop in temperatures over the weekend provided some frosty landscapes, but state meteorologists warned Tuesday that they may not last long. This placid scene could be found […]
Wolf shot near Oslo
Another wolf was shot in the hills northwest of Oslo over the weekend, in the forest known as Krokskogen. Authorization had been issued, and the wolf wandered right into the firing line of a hunter otherwise waiting for moose. Newspaper Aftenposten reported that the female wolf was shot in the area of Krokskogen, a popular […]
Forest fire danger sparks red alerts
Warnings were going out this week that forest fire danger was at its highest possible level all over Southeastern Norway. More than a week of dry and unusually warm weather, with more to come, is making local forests highly vulnerable to going up in flames. Not only are all open campfires banned in all municipalities […]
Center Party killed national park plan
Norway’s resurgent Center Party promotes a “green” image and champions rural interests, but it puts a higher priority on use of the land than preservation of it. That’s how its political control of a small rural area southeast of Oslo succeeded in halting plans to preserve a portion of the capital’s eastern forest known as […]
Forests come to life, and win an award
With the little snow that came this winter now disappearing, Norwegians all over the country are launching into the next season of hiking, cycling, paddling and eventually swimming in the hills and forests surrounding their towns and cities. In Oslo, residents can now do so in the knowledge that their use of local forests has […]
Oslo residents don’t mind wolves
A new survey shows that a majority of Oslo residents living close to the city’s eastern forest (Østmarka) aren’t worried that a pair of wolves settled down in the area and produced a litter of pups. The survey of 900 residents of the eastern Oslo districts of Alna and Østensjø showed that 63 percent were positive […]
Calls go out for more mushroom control
Thousands of Norwegians are likely to head out this weekend to “sanke sopp” (pick mushrooms), and biologists and health care personnel wish there were more checkpoints where pickers’ harvests could be controlled. A recent spate of serious illnesses caused by poisonous mushrooms has them worried. “We’ve never had so many cases (of people falling ill after inadvertently […]
New hidden posts wait to be found
The hills and forests around Oslo are now sporting 50 new posts of interest, waiting to be found by eager skiers and hikers. Hundreds lined up again on Sunday to punch their first post in the latest edition of the local ski association’s book containing them all, called the Kjentmannmerket’s handbook. The book and program behind it takes its […]