Our Newsletter #5 is out 🌿 Bonfires, ticks, Sámi law, energy myths in Shetland — and something you didn't know about the colour green. shorturl.at/lHh8W

April is finally here, and at OCEH, we’re mostly just excited to get outside 🌸 The sun is out in Oslo, so we’ve planned a month that gets us moving — from walking seminars about diseases to a social where we're literally "Waking Up the Trees."

Can a garment be "wild" and "luxurious" at the same time? 🦊💎 In the 1950s, the fashion industry certainly thought so. In a new OCEH blog post, Giulia Girardi revisits the archives of Harper’s Bazaar to see how "The Mink Look" was sold as the ultimate status symbol.

📣 NEW FUNDING CALL: Environmental Humanities Research Groups at @uio.no . OCEH is looking for new research groups to join our community! We have a budget of 150,000 NOK per group for research activities, workshops, and public events. 🌍

How does the "green transition" feel on the ground? 🌬️🏡 Join us in Oslo on March 23 for a lunch seminar with Carolin Maertens. We’re exploring the politics of energy transition in rural Germany and what happens when land is reframed as "merely an energy source." A mini-thread... 👇

New month, new activities at OCEH! ❄️➡️🌱 As the winter frost begins to lift, our March calendar is shifting toward two of the most pressing conversations in the environmental humanities today. We’re opening our doors to unpack the "green shift" in both our museums and our laws.

The February OCEH Newsletter is out! Following a period of growth and the arrival of several new projects in 2025, we are thrilled to announce that 2026 marks the official start of our new research community. The "next phase" of the Center is no longer a plan - it is happening.

Could a volcanic eruption in Indonesia be the reason we have Frankenstein? 🧟‍♂️ In the world of Environmental Humanities, we look at how the Earth’s forces shape our culture. This is the story of the "Year Without a Summer" and the birth of a monster.

Job alert! We are looking for talented PhD researchers to write a dissertation on Benzaiten worship in modern Japan or Mazu pilgrimages in Taiwan, as part of the ERC project "Maritime Goddesses: Transnational Connections, Blue Environments, and Ritual Care in East- and Southeast Asia" (MARGO).

Is a forest an economic resource, a place of mystery, or a site of worship? 🍃 For folklorist Dr. Colin Gioia Connors, the answer is hidden in the "social life" of ancient place-names. We’re hosting him at OCEH this year as he digs into the roots of the Scandinavian landscape.

February at OCEH is looking busy! ❄️✨ From the politics of plants to community-led writing in times of crisis, we have a full month of events coming up at OCEH. A quick thread of what’s happening... 👇

Happy New Year from the Oslo Center for Environmental Humanities! 🌿 We’re kicking off 2026 with a busy January. From the "ecosemiotics" of sacred remains to the politics of global climate action, we have some deep dives planned. Check out the thread below for details! 👇 🧵

It’s been a busy semester at OCEH! ❄️ As the year draws to a close, we’re happy to share our third newsletter, capturing a cross-section of our work - from music and anthropology to food systems and environmental art. Read the full update here: shorturl.at/q0VXh

Final OCEH event of 2025! 🥳 Join our Lunch Seminar + cozy Julegløgg Social! 🎄 🗓️ Dec 15th, 12:15 PM Sadie Menicanin: "The Air of the Vienna Woods." Learn how forest air and music responded to Vienna's poor air quality circa 1900. Gløgg & pepperkaker served! ☕🍪 Details 👇

🎄 Did you know Christmas was once banned in England? In 1647, Parliament shut it down - no carols, no feasting, no greenery. The Puritans saw it as wasteful, un-Christian, and suspiciously pagan. #EnvHum #EnvironmentalHumanities

📢 New Blog Post! Meet visiting researcher Sadie Hale, who's exploring human-whale relations and how we sense the ocean in the Norwegian Arctic 🐋 Sadie's work is truly fascinating! Dive into our Q&A now: ➡️ shorturl.at/BHh2t

December is here, and OCEH still has a few bright moments lined up before the year winds down. If you need some mid-winter inspiration, we’ve got you covered 💫

🌿 OCEH has a new blog! 🌿 We’re opening a space for sharing ideas, reflections, and stories from our environmental humanities community. shorturl.at/50jHU

🍂 November at OCEH! This month, we’re diving into how environments, art, food, and coastlines shape our lives - and how we, in turn, shape them. Events below 👇 More info: shorturl.at/vnBSN

Our second OCEH newsletter just came out 🍂 It’s full of things we’ve been thinking about and doing this autumn - bonfire by the lake, lab talks, PhD fieldwork and new research groups taking shape. Not a report so much as a snapshot of how #envhum feels in motion. ✨ Read: shorturl.at/PeJVa

Two fascinating OCEH Lab Talks this week 🌿 🗓️ Wed, Oct 22 Stuart Earle Strange – What is Anthropomorphism? How do human–macaque relations in Singapore reveal both the limits and possibilities of cooperation beyond the human? 👉 www.hf.uio.no/ikos/english...

👣🌾 Landscapes aren’t just made by humans. They’re shaped through relationships - with animals, plants, microbes, and even the soil beneath our feet. Meet the Multispecies Landscapes Lab, a group at OCEH exploring landscapes as more-than-human worlds. www.hf.uio.no/iakh/english...

Do trees talk to each other? It might sound like sci-fi, but research shows that trees and plants can “communicate” underground — thanks to fungi🍄👇 #EnvHum #Mycorrhiza #WoodWideWeb

A week of creativity, history, and critical reflection at the OCEH Lab 🌿 Here’s what’s happening over the next few days 👇

🍂 Big month ahead at OCEH! October brings poetry from pollution, Sámi law, multispecies justice, and more. Workshops, lunch seminars, lab talks — all diving into fresh perspectives on how we relate to nature, weather, and each other 🌿✨ Curious? Come join the conversations!

🌱✨ Tomorrow at UiO: Audra Mitchell asks — how can we form unconditional relationships with earth? 📍 OCEH Lab, P.A. Munchs hus 🕛 12:15–14:00 🔗 shorturl.at/euamb

We’re thrilled to host Antonia Thomas this Friday at UiO! ✨ 📍 In-person — OCEH Lab, P.A. Munchs hus 🗓️ Sept 19, 10:15–12:00 Her talk about working across disciplines, explores how creative practice can open new paths in the #humanities. Details 👉 shorturl.at/tybnO

🌱 What does a sustainable university look like? Join us for a lunch seminar with UiO’s Green Office to hear about their projects — from sewing courses to shaping climate policy. 📅 Sept 15, 12:15 | OCEH Lab 👉 shorturl.at/7Fxgz

September will be a busy month at OCEH! 🍂🔥 From lab talks on ecosemiotics, creativity in the humanities, and revenant ecologies, to our long-awaited autumn bonfire - we’ve got a full calendar of events lined up. Check out the program and join us: shorturl.at/zLQsA

Our very first OCEH newsletter is out! 🎉 We’ll be sharing updates from our center + research groups, along with insights from the world of environmental humanities 🌍 👉 Read the first issue here: shorturl.at/VaoZH 👉 Subscribe for future editions: shorturl.at/oZove

The bonfire won’t happen tomorrow after all — Oslo rain wins this round 🌧️ We’ll try again on September 10 instead, same plan at Sognsvann. Fingers crossed for better weather and a good fire 🔥 shorturl.at/AeYeN

In Oslo tomorrow? Come join us over lunch: 🐀🦜🌱 Who eats whom in Aotearoa’s forests — and why that matters for conservation. Courtney Addison (Victoria U. Wellington) on toxins, lures & the politics of animal appetites in pest control. 📍 OCEH Lab 🕐 Aug 21, 12:15–14:00 🔗 shorturl.at/OPOUA

‼️ Today’s Lunch Seminar cancelled ‼️ Erling Agøy: Early Modern Chinese Approaches to the Weather will be rescheduled later this semester. Sorry for the inconvenience — we’ll share the new date soon!

📍 In-person, Oslo — On Aug 18, environmental historian Erling Agøy will take us to 17th-century China to explore how people lived with (and made sense of) climate change during the Little Ice Age. Details ➡️ shorturl.at/P9eHM

🌿 What do ecosystems and cultures have in common? They both speak in meanings - and right now, we’re losing those meanings faster than ever. On 2 Sept 2025, Estonian semiotician & poet Timo Maran is coming to @uio.no to talk about ecosemiotics.

☀️ Summer break is winding down here in Norway — and we’re easing back into things at OCEH with a great August lineup. Seminars, guest talks, and a cozy bonfire to close the month. If you're in Oslo, we’d love to see you 🌻 📍 Details: shorturl.at/m6ojr #EnvHum #EnvironmentalHumanities

🎻 Did you know the legendary Stradivarius violins may owe their sound to… colder weather? During the Little Ice Age (ca. 1300–1850), Europe experienced cooler winters. Trees grew more slowly, producing denser, more uniform wood. Perfect for instruments. #EnvHum #ClimateHistory

Next up in our “meet the groups” series: EcoLit 📚🌿 This group is all about stories — and how literature and culture shape how we think (and feel) about the environment. 🔗https://shorturl.at/rnPBH #EnvHum #EcoCriticism

🎉Excited to share our new grant on sustainable home-hospital services for immigrants—exploring the boundaries between home, hospital, and hospitality through the philosophies of B Cassin, J Derrida ao. #academicsky @uio.no @uio-oceh.bsky.social @oslomet.bsky.social www.med.uio.no/sustainit/en...

What if ecosystems weren’t just natural, but narrative? 🌍📖 This September, join us in Oslo for Ecosemiotics in the Field — a PhD course exploring how meaning moves between humans, animals, and environments. Short, hands-on, humanities-led. shorturl.at/BhBVD

🌍 Are you an early-career researcher with a passion for environmental humanities — and ready to build something collaborative and interdisciplinary? We have an open call that might interest you.

What does it really mean to transform society toward sustainability? On June 3, the RESULTS Symposium brings together researchers, activists, and professionals in Oslo for a day of conversations, collaboration, and reflection. 🕒 Today’s the last day to register! 🔗 shorturl.at/LZCV1 #Sustainability

👋 OCEH isn’t just one research group — it’s a community. We’re made up of three research groups, each exploring the intersections of climate, culture and the humanities in their own way. First up: Environmental Art 🎨🌿 🔗 shorturl.at/zUHXD #EnvHum #EnvironmentalArt

Brilliant talk today in Oslo by Sarah-Maria Schober @smschober.bsky.social on the multispecies history of early modern wigs, organised by KLIMER and the @uio-oceh.bsky.social OCEH Multispecies Landscapes Lab!👌🏻

🌊 Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor — but support over 25% of all marine life. That’s wild. But their importance goes far beyond biodiversity. A short thread on why coral reefs matter — to all of us 👇

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting Academic Toolkit: #Publishing in Environmental Humanities with Prof. @dollyjorgensen.bsky.social, editor at Environmental Humanities 🌿📝 Here are a few highlights and takeaways for anyone thinking about publishing in this field 👇

🌸 A new month at OCEH! May brings events on everything from eco-theology to publishing in the environmental humanities. Some are in Oslo, others hybrid - details here: 🔗 shorturl.at/wLahF Whether you're in Oslo or joining from afar, we’re glad to have you with us 🌍 #envhum #ClimateCulture