This project aims to develop a transformative ecological restoration strategy along Iceland’s longest river, Þjórsá. It builds upon my project from last semester, focusing on birch and soil rejuvenation, as well as sustainable weaving practices. However, this project focuses mainly on weaving together the native forests with riparian vegetation systems to address the centuries-long deforestation that has fundamentally altered Iceland’s landscape since settlement.
This project explores the three-dimensional connections between river, soil, and canopy, emphasizing the cultural and ecological significance of native birch woodlands that once covered Iceland’s lowlands. The proposed forest “knitting” strategy operates at multiple scales, from individual Miyawaki microforest plots to landscape-scale corridors, creating a living fabric that strengthens bank cohesion, enhances biodiversity, and reconnects communities with their woodland heritage. Interwoven Waters revives traditional knowledge, involving local communities in the planting, maintenance, and stewardship of these new woodlands. Like seeds containing the DNA for transformation, these small interventions will gradually weave a continuous woodland corridor along the river’s spine, healing the landscape through carefully placed moments of ecological acupuncture that expand outward through time.
