Watercolors from "A Helping Hand to Ånderdalen National Park"

Hi, I’m Léa Ricard! I joined Rissa Citizen Science and Ånderdalen National Park to take part in a project called A Helping Hand to Ånderdalen. I spent a week in the National Park in July/August 2025, with fifteen other volunteers, helping repair nature where impacted by overtourism. During this week, I kept a journal and painted some watercolors, and I’d love to share a few of them with you here.

Day 1.

First walk, on the still unknown path of a new adventure.

We arrive at this camp.

A charming cabin, tables, bonfire et tacos diner.

First interactions between the volunteers, cheerful, a little shy, enthusiastic, the diversity of personalities is already appearing.

---

Day 2.

After a fantastic night in tent, the morning sun is welcoming us.

With our backpacks loaded, we set off for Åndervatnet with two nights ahead of us.

Picnic at a large waterfall.

Anecdotes punctuate our steps: Ants always face south; crossbills feed on seeds inside pine cones.

Evening.

Scattered splashes of raindrops on the lake, blurred mirror of the mountain.

A blanket of grey sky over a forgotten little paradise.

On the other side of the shore, facing us, a curved valley, topped on one side by a peak, lighthouse-like.

Birch trees, pines of all ages, peat bogs.

A few patches of snow remain.

Soon, they will be gone.

---

Day 3 and 4.

Meeting at a peat bog.

It has suffered greatly in recent years.

Erosion, unfortunately caused by the repetitive steps of hikers.

We install multiple fiber nets to retain nutrients and recreate areas for natural growth.

We are closing this hiking trail, to give nature time to heal.

Slowly, spring after spring, there will be more green in this landscape, more hikers on this trail.

Afternoon.

Creation of a new hiking trail in the forest.

Looking, choosing and marking the future trail.

---

Day 6.

Sitting on the grass, facing the mountain, serenity of the heart.

This comes after a day of joined forces with another group to repair hiking trails and building boardwalks.

---

Day 7.

Hiking across Ånderdalen National Park.

DNT marks refreshed along the way.

Painting the mountain with red, thinking to the foggy days these red dots become an Ariane's thread for wandering souls.

23 kilometers (from D to A, on the map below).

Like a funambulist between the sky and the ocean.

Subtle but real, that thrilling feeling that we sometimes call freedom.

Everywhere the beauty and her friend immensity.

A great group atmosphere, pleasure of becoming a real collective after all those days together.

---

Day 8.

A fjord.

We are in the painting.

The boat takes us to the fjord's bottom.

Words sometimes hardly express what one can feel.

This day is a gift made to us, the volunteers.

Looking around from this rocky beach, those peaks, the open line of the ocean, the vast sky.

Being grateful of this collective chapter.