Score #18: An imagined wetland reserve in your neighborhood
Half an hour drive southwest of Oslo, well hidden behind a former dynamite producing factory by the outlet of the Lier River to the Drammen Fjord, a green and lush area of wetland has been left to flourish relatively undisturbed since it was granted protection in 1985. Riparian forests and wetland plants such as bulrush cover much of the coastline. Beavers swim in the river, and trout and salmon can be seen jumping, as they catch insects on the water surface. More than 200 species of birds have been observed in the reserve. Every spring, up to 50 different types of birds, among them common kingfisher and the red listed water rail, make their nests there. Other migrating birds, such as the tufted duck make a stop to rest and find food within the tiny 593 acre area, on their way to their summer residences.
Now a city development plan, which involves the building of luxurious housing complexes close to the protected areas’ borders, might lead to new and bewildering encounters between the reserve’s inhabitants and its planned nearby human residents.
In 2022, Norway and more than 190 other countries signed the Biodiversity Plan, which sets out to protect at least 30% of land, freshwater and marine areas by 2030. Founded on the sentiment that “the world’s wild places are being lost” the hope is that the fulfilment of the “30×30” agreement will save us from the worst consequences of climate change, by restoring damaged ecosystems and letting “wilderness” be.
But what if we stopped the building and constructing? What if we erased the lines between the human and the wild? What if we let the rivers run where they wish, and welcomed the uncultivated, the untamed, the unrestrained to move in and settle in our hearts?
Score and text by Kjersti Vetterstad, living in Drammen, Norway
Photo performance by Kidauane Regina Alves, living in São Vicente, São Paulo – Brazil.
The costume is a collage made with local plants from a mangrove forest located in the hometown of the artist. Image captured by Iris Grott. Costume made by visual artist Ana Flávia Alves.