I am preparing for a writing workshop with the communications team at SRC. How to write a popular science feature. We were given a list of reference pieces to read, stories about bilingualism, de-extinction, water goddesses, and really old trees. Long and very long articles where science, the lives of extraordinary people and snapshots ofContinue reading “the anti-climatic nature of knowledge”
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reunions & winter gardens in Oslo
Two months ago, I took the train to Oslo. We were a whole crew, going to visit Hanna, my former classmate who just moved there to start a PhD. Half of my master’s class, renting a beautiful apartment in central Oslo for the weekend. My first stop was Botanisk Hage, the Oslo university botanical garden,Continue reading “reunions & winter gardens in Oslo”
Sahelian stories: A young researcher trying out social media
Some weeks ago, I was the guest editor of Stockholm Resilience Centre’s Instagram account under the hashtag #SRCFieldwork. Every week, a master’s or PhD student or researcher at the center posts photos and tells stories from their fieldwork experiences. The idea is to give some insight into the work behind the research and also shareContinue reading “Sahelian stories: A young researcher trying out social media”
autobiographies and the need for introspection
Some time ago, I read two books. It wasn’t intentional, but they happened to be autobiographies and, coincidentally, the authors belong to the same writing group in Portland. After having read them, it kind of made sense. They were about journeys, about finding a way out of a broken past, big sorrow, drugs and destructiveContinue reading “autobiographies and the need for introspection”
a brief pop cultural summary of my 2016
2016 has been a tough year. A lot has happened, both professionally and in my private life, and I don’t yet know what the implications of all these events, changes and developments will be. So for now, let’s focus on simpler things. Pop culture. And it’s kind of funny, I realized while going though theContinue reading “a brief pop cultural summary of my 2016”
our unruly paradise
On those benches in the Montpellier botanical garden in September, I read the last chapters of Edward Abbey’s “Desert Solitaire – a season in the wilderness” (1968). It is a memoir of the years Abbey spent as a park ranger in Arches National Monument in Utah, USA, in the 1950s. It took me a reallyContinue reading “our unruly paradise”
Montpellier botanical garden
Narrow streets and cheese are definitely some of the most enjoyable things with Montpellier – but, not surprisingly, what I liked the most about this university town was the botanical garden. Jardin des Plantes was established in 1593, making it the oldest botanical garden in France. It is a green oasis in the otherwise quiteContinue reading “Montpellier botanical garden”
Montpellier – a Mediterranean gem
After the workshop in September, I took a little time off and spent a couple of days walking around on the winding streets of Montpellier. It is a city situated 10 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast in a hilly, dry landscape. It was first mentioned in a document from 985 and came into prominence inContinue reading “Montpellier – a Mediterranean gem”
the art of being young and boring
Towards the end of September (again, I’m LATE), I went to a workshop in France. It was a final team meeting with most collaborators in the project that I’m part of. The project lead works in Montpellier, so that’s where we all went, people flying in from all over, Ghana, Burkina Faso, California, Minnesota, UK.Continue reading “the art of being young and boring”
an island summer, part IV: Stora Karlsö
Every year in September, the whole office relocates to Stora Karlsö for a couple of days, to bond and strategize and eat-sing-dance. Stora Karlsö is an island in the Baltic, off the coast of Gotland. After Yellowstone, it is the oldest protected nature area in the world. In spring and early summer, thousands upon thousandsContinue reading “an island summer, part IV: Stora Karlsö”
Katja Malmborg 