Yesterday morning on March 2nd, we could make use of the mild spring temperatures to once again join forces with the Folkehøgskule in Sogndal. One month before, we gave a presentation about our Expedition to a very inspiring audience of young adults in the age between 18 and 21 years.
The full-time boarding school offers them the opportunity to take an interim year after high school and think about their professional future without being under high pressure to perform. Affordable fees and a unique course offer attract students not just from Norway, but from all Scandinavia and even some other countries. For example, we met a young man from Fairbanks, Alaska who found his way to Sogndal in Summer 2019.
Courses are chosen according to interests, whereby the school’s sustainable approach anticipates a focus on outdoor activities. A respectful treatment of the environment shall be learned and lived through joint activities in nature. Since this claim also corresponds to our own philosophy, it was easy to organize the joint Clean-Up on March 6th and 7th. Despite the optimal ski weather, a large number of participants decided to join and carry out this project.
We divided ourselves into five groups and collected a large amount of waste, especially on the green areas and along the fjord banks. The positive and grateful reactions of many people gave us a lot of energy and the feeling of having done something meaningful throughout the day. Some of the observers even joined us spontaneously. In addition to relief, however, it also makes you think a bit to see how much garbage can be collected in a small place like Sogndal. Therefore, we hope that the campaign will not last as a single case but will serve as one of several inspirational examples for people to take action themselves.
Before lunch, there was a large barter market in the common room, where people were allowed to store and take items of clothing free of charge.
An excellent lunch was cooked using fresh ingredients from local supermarkets that would otherwise have ended up in the trash before the Sunday closing. Mealworms from the nearby insect farm were served as an ecological topping high in protein. With the eyes closed, they were actually quite tasty… (Simon, 02.03.2020)
