“Naturmødet Festival is a vital platform for nature and the environment – and that’s why we’re there”

Not even the icy north wind that howled past the white tents at Naturmødet (The People’s Festival of Nature) in Hirtshals – and which forced the organisers to delay the official opening by a few hours – was enough to cool Mikkel Tamstorf’s enthusiasm for this year’s recently concluded festival.

AU had its own tent at the event, complete with a stage and lounge, and over 2,100 guests came by to attend 33 presentations, debates, conversations and other activities. Researchers from AU also took part in 15 debates on the festival’s main stage – discussing issues ranging from the green tripartite agreement to rewilding, biodiversity and the forests of the future. According to the organisers, almost 30,000 people came to the festival this year.

“It goes without saying that Aarhus University should be part of Naturmødet, where nature and the environment are at the heart of the conversation. The event allows us to connect with collaboration partners, foundations, politicians and citizens over topics that not only continue to dominate the political agenda but that are also vital for private individuals – topics on which we can deliver expert knowledge,” says Mikkel Tamstorf.

Electric bacteria and fresh coffee

According to the head of department, attending Naturmødet Festival is a strategic decision.

“At the Department of Ecoscience, one of our core values is to make our mark in Denmark. We do this by providing knowledge to help society make the best decisions, but also by being present at events that allow us to disseminate our knowledge more widely. Naturmødet Festival is an important platform for precisely this type of knowledge transfer. We were able to show what we stand for and what we can do. I think we reached a wide audience,” says Mikkel Tamstorf.

AU’s participation in Naturmødet Festival is organised in collaboration between the Department of Ecoscience, the Department of Biology (Nat) and other departments at Tech.

At this year’s event, the audience could hear Professor Rasmus Ejrnæs in a philosophical discussion with Associate Professor Jes Lynning Harfeld from Aalborg University about the death of animals in nature. Professor Peter Sunde shared insights on the spread of wolves in Denmark, while children (and adults) could learn about electrical bacteria, plant peas and study fish under the microscope. In the lounge, guests could relax and reflect on what they had learned, enjoying a freshly brewed coffee and a warm blanket.

In the centre of the tent stood a stuffed musk ox, which Mikkel Tamstorf had single-handedly transported from Roskilde to Hirtshals.

“The musk ox was a nod to our Arctic research — but it ended up being a real crowd-puller. People were curious, ventured into the tent and started chatting,” explains Mikkel Tamstorf.  

Too much echo chamber?

In the wake of the festival, some critics have said that the debates on the main stage were too friendly in tone. They claim there was too little debate and too much consensus.

Mikkel Tamstorf accepts this point, but he also believes there is great value in keeping the debates respectful.

“I think that dialogue is much more fruitful than people shouting at each other. But we want to help sharpen the debate, and we can see the benefits of moderators being a little stricter if one side tries to evade an argument. This is something to take forward to our evaluation,” says Mikkel Tamstorf.

He’s quite confident that Aarhus University will be back at the festival in 2026.

“Our researchers are keen to support Naturmødet, and it’s important that we’re on hand to supply knowledge to facilitate informed conversations,” says Mikkel Tamstorf.

Naturmødet Festival took place in Hirtshals between 22 and 24 May.

Photos: Peter Bondo, Jeppe Kyhne Knudsen m.fl.