On November 20, 2019, I traveled with Camilla Gulkisen to Fetsund, a small town outside of Oslo. Camilla is a journalism student at the University of Bergen and she pitched this idea after I taught in her class for a week and "crowdsourced" ideas for climate witness stories. She grew up in Fetsund and suggested we talk to someone about the changes in the Øyeren Naturreservat (Northern Island Nature Reserve).
Camilla arranged for us to meet Anna Kristine Jahr Røine, "a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party who served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus during the term 1977–1981. From 1999 to 2000, during the first cabinet Bondevik, Jahr Røine was appointed state secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (Wikipedia).
The nature reserve is the "largest inland delta in the Nordic region" and plays a vital role in providing safe nesting and abundant food for migrating birds in the spring and fall. It was a cloudy and cold day with thin layers of ice along the river. Camilla and I shot a lot of video along the riverbank where a historic logging facility displayed booms in the river, the old mill, and shoots for moving the lumber in and out of the water.
Camilla conducted the interview in Norwegian and she said Anna Kristine said a lot of great things - I was only able to assess the audio levels and the framing of the interview shot! Anna Kristine was direct and to the point, speaking for about 20 minutes. Because of her long career and knowledge of the area, we had allotted more time expecting her to have more things to talk about but the interview wrapped up and we were left with a number of hours before our return flight home. Camilla is editing and translating the video piece and it will be available during the winter of 2020.