Tree veteranisation is a range of techniques of harming trees for forest conservation, which promote the creation of microhabitats for insects, fungi and birds amongst other creatures. The methods include scratching trees with axes, creating holes with spikes, exploding trees with dynamite, burning, ringbarking etc. Through mark making with sharp objects one can promote biodiversity with experimental outcomes. I think veteranisation is a great tool to bring more life and diversity to timber monocultures, which dominate the forested landscape in Denmark. 


In my project I make marks on trees with patterns inspired by the Danish pre-industrial weaving, so not only dead wood microhabitats get created, but also the visitors get attracted by the aesthetic value of the project and delve into the topic of insect and fungi ecology. 


The project is a continuation of my double-warp textile piece “We won’t exist once the forest disappears”. The project dealt with the interconnectedness of textile industrialisation, decrease in the number of animal pastures, conversion of natural habitats into monocultures and how those factors, through the devastation of ecosystems, also impacted livelihoods not only through privatisation of natural resources, but also disappearance of specialised professions.

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Forest management plan through tree veteranisation in the PDF:

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Documentation of trees veteranised at Skovsnogen, DK in 11.2022