Social activities

Forest excursion into the true forest landscape north of Uppsala

Date: Monday 8 June

Time: 14:00 pick up by bus, 18:00 arrival back by bus

Cost: 228 SEK excl. VAT per person, includes bus transport, guide and “fika” (coffee and a small treat). Book and pay during conference registration.

Meeting point: Outside the main entrance of Blåsenhus, von Kraemers allé 1, 752 37 Uppsala

Capacity: max. 45 people

The Forest: Sweden’s Most Explosive Political Battleground

Swedish woodlands are no longer just nature — they are the center of the country's fiercest environmental conflict. Ancient forests, standing for centuries as guardians of biodiversity, are being systematically wiped out and replaced by nearly lifeless, industrial monocultures.

Join us to witness the reality of forestry managed by Uppsala University. We will take you across the frontlines: first, walking the scarred earth of a recent clear-cut, and then guiding you into the refuge of a living, boreal forest where nature still rules. We’ll share how we use tools like citizen science and legal action — alongside excursions like this one — to defend Uppsala’s remaining natural forests.

Step into the deep roots of Swedish culture. Come for the debate, stay for the land of endangered species in the Forest - lynx, hazel grouse and many orchids, insects, lichen and fungi.

Practical clothes and boots or shoes that withstand rugged terrain are strongly recommended - we will be going "into the wild"! Bring mosquito repellent if you are sensitive. Long sleeves and trousers are recommended against tick bites.

The excursion is led by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation’s forest group in Uppsala.

Guided visit at the Botanical Garden

Date: Thursday 11 June

Time: 16:00-17:00

Cost: 60 SEK excl. VAT per person (book and pay during conference registration)

Meeting point: Outside the entrance of the tropical greenhouse Villavägen 8, 752 36 Uppsala

Capacity: max. 25 people

The Botanical Garden is one of Uppsala's most popular destinations. During a guided visit you will experience its different parts such as the grandiose Baroque Garden, the 200-year-old orangery with its grand halls and you may find inspiration for home growing among rockery plants, vegetables, summer flowers and plants in the systemic quarters. The guided visit will focus on the outdoors. The tropical greenhouse can be visited on your own initiative during the opening times.

Sculpture workshop at Bror Hjorth’s House

Date: Thursday 11 June

Time: 17:00-18:30

Fee: 265 SEK excl. VAT per person (book and pay during conference registration)

Capacity: 15 people

Meeting point: Bror Hjorts Hus, Norbyvägen 26, 752 39 Uppsala

We will begin by briefly looking at some of the sculptures by artist Bror Hjorth (1894-1968) one of the great modernists in Swedish art from the proximity of Uppsala. Then we will go to the museum workshop to create our own sculptures in clay. The workshop is led by an art educator who will talk about materials and techniques and help us get started. No prior knowledge is required. This activity can be combined with the guided visit (separate fee) or you can book it on its own.

Bror Hjorth (1894-1968) is considered one of the great modernists in Swedish art, equally skilled as a painter and sculptor, as well as a talented draftsman. He grew up a few miles north of Uppsala, but received his artistic training in Paris, where he lived and worked throughout the 1920s. His art is a celebration of love, music, and life. Bror Hjorth's House is an art museum in Uppsala housed in Bror Hjorth's former residence and studio. The museum has the largest and most representative collection of Bror Hjorth's art.

More information about the museum

Walking excursion in the steps of Linnaeus

Date: Friday 12 June

Time: 10:00-12:00

Cost: Free of charge but must be booked during conference registration.

Meeting point: Outside the grind of Linnéträdgården, Svartbäcksgatan 27 B, 753 32 Uppsala

Capacity: max. 50 people

Follow in the footsteps of Carl Linnaeus on a scenic walk from central Uppsala to Old Uppsala and the Royal Mounds.

This guided walk takes approximately 2 hours (ca 6 km). Along the route, several stops introduce the history of Uppsala and the environmental changes that have shaped the city over time. We start at the Linnaeus House and Garden and continue along the Linnaeus Trail, guided by Linnaeus’ own observations and writings. Participants are introduced to selected plant and animal species documented by Linnaeus and his students. The walk concludes in Old Uppsala at the historic burial mounds around noon. Afterwards you are free to visit the museum and to have a bite at the local restaurant (both atyour own cost) or visit the open-air museum Disagården or Old Uppsala church (both free entry). Public buses (link https://www.ul.se/en ) leave regularly from stop Gamla Uppsala back to Uppsala city centre (bus fees apply).

Read more about the museums

Gamla Uppsala Museum

Disagården Museum

Forest bathing at Lunsen nature reserve

Date: Friday 12 June

Time: 09:30-12:00

Cost: Free of charge but must be booked during conference registration.

Meeting point: Public bus stop Daneport (line 5 towards Sävja, ca 12min from Uppsala Centralstation)

Capacity: max. 25 people

Forest bathing (Japanese shinrin yoku) was developed in Japan in the 1980s as a stress-remedy subscribed by medical doctors to patients. The practice has spread internationally, and today different forms of forest bathing are researched for their purpose to increase human-nature connection, health and wellbeing and engagement for nature and climate protection through a feeling of reciprocity. During this 2.5 hour-long slow sensory experience the certified forest bathing guide will give a short introduction to the experience, and then we will be guided through a series of so-called invitations where we experience the forest with all senses and share our experience with each other in sharing circles. The experience is concluded with a tea ceremony under the tree canopy.

Forest bathing can be done both in rain and sunshine. Please bring suitable shoes and clothes slightly warmer than you would expect, we don’t move much. Mosquito repellent is recommended if you are sensitive. Long sleeves and trousers are recommended against tick bites.

Please note that there are no public toilets available during the experience, but you can always find a facility tree.