ArcticKnows field visit to Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka biosphere

Wool tapestry of the Vendelälven river catchment and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Northern Sweden

Just as the ice coated upper reaches on the river were completing the spring melt, TouchTD seized the opportunity to converge with ArcticKnows partners around the pilot site of Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Perfectly hosted by the biosphere project manager Daniela Nedelcheva, and pilot site leader from University of Umeå, Dr Linda Lundmark, we travelled the length and breadth of the biosphere area. From the mountain source around Ammarnäs to the delta on the Gulf of Bothnia near Holmsund port, our research group connected both with the natural features and the inhabitants (human & more than human!) that share this stunning sub-Arctic space.

A variety of ways to Meet – Research – Co-create!

As one of the project’s four pilot areas, our focus is to work alongside local and indigenous communities to co-create recommendations and examples for regenerative economic models. The Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka pilot will be bridging across research teams, stakeholders and important local knowledge holders to amplify the significance and roles for such knowledge. To ensure this connectivity takes place on mutually convenient terms, the project is first of all closely listening and understanding what is of importance and what platforms work for this biosphere site. In this process face-to-face encounters are prioritised. Passing from focus groups to participatory mapping, and community workshops, the flow and exchange of information and perspectives will be ramping up over the coming months.

To ‘break the ice’ (no Arctic pun intended) during this visit, the most appropriate way forward was through a series of open invitation kvällsfika events. Kvällsfika is the widely adopted Swedish tradition of taking a coffee and an (ideally homemade) local snack, whilst sitting around a table with whoever turns up to chat, then sharing some light conversation. It’s more congenial than the picture painted by my clunky explanation! In our situation the conversations centred around what makes a place special, in particular the places within the biosphere area where we stopped and met with a range of local residents.

The inaugural ‘cutting the carrot cake’ moment at Kvällsfika hosted by Kullar og klang in Vindeln

Meeting, engaging, getting to understand the dynamics around the biosphere reserve

Informed by the stories, the landscapes, and the issues raised in the week together, these initial kvällsfika encounters will in part shape how our collective work unfolds. The adaptability of this approach was also most apparent as we travelled from one location along the river to the next. Meeting places ranged from local cafes, farms and businesses, to community museums, associations and tourism accommodation sites. Each providing a relaxed, informal location for interested parties to converge, sharing perspectives and potentially becoming involved in co-created research.

From board games to AI charged digital platforms 🎮

Building upon our experiences around the development and use of serious games from our prior EU Horizon project ‘ArcticHubs’, this journey also continued to unfold during the week in Vindelälven-Juhttátahkka UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. As well as introducing the broad concept of Serious Games,

‘games designed with a serious purpose as their core aim, which as a process or tool provide a simulated environment and gives participants a low stakes learning environment in which they can make mistakes, experiment with new concepts and consider alternative solutions‘

we had the opportunity to play or interact with two existing games. One was a digital platform called Skogsrådet – an interactive AI driven forum introducing voices from the ‘more than human’ – although this had a strong anthropomorphic essence. The second game we played in the calm setting of Sorsele library, was a complex board game created by a consortium around another UNESCO biosphere reserve in southern Sweden (Mariestad).

ArcticKnows getting to understand tactics around an existing Arctic ‘serious game’

Keeping the momentum going

Taking onboard the principle of learning by doing, these game playing experiences are helping to inform ArcticKnows on how best to utilise this tool to adapt to and serve the specific circumstances that are present in the diverse pilot site settings at:

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For more information on the ongoing research explored through ArcticKnows project, please visit: