Andreas Karlsson – Director Naturum Vindelfjällen Hemavan

Name Andreas Karlsson
Lives Hemavan
Occupation Director Naturum Vindelfjällen Hemavan

I live in Hemavan but actually come from Gällivare. I came here when I got a job at the Alpine botanical garden when I was studying biology. Then I applied for a substitute job at Naturum and I’m still here. I’m now into my eleventh year. I really love the surroundings here, it really is impressive mountains with plenty of vegetation, good fishing, high alpine environments, caves… there’s always something new to discover!

I live with my two sons parts of the time, Knut who is eight years old and Vida who is five. We ski quite a lot, usually cross-country, go fishing and get out in the mountains. I hope that being outdoors will become a natural part of daily life for them.

In my free time I am outdoors a lot, go ski-touring and fishing. I normally fish both trout and arctic char, but arctic char is a favourite, mostly because it’s tricky to catch. To get them to bite or even to find them, you have to try out new things depending on the weather. I’ve even developed a pretty good method for catching them in the summer. They usually hang out in the deeps as they like cold water.

When you cast your lure, you have to think more like jigging fishing, that you jig it in. Pull the lure a little, reel it in, pull the lure… They like when it moves unevenly, that’s when you get them.

At work, I’m responsible for taking care of the actual exhibition and the Alpine botanical garden. My task is also to inspire people to get outdoors. Last year we received 11,000 visitors, many hikers who wanted some tips on tours. Otherwise they can join in one of our guided tours, perhaps one that explains the vegetation. We have very chalky soil here and many unusual plants. For example, an orchid called Brudkulla, that is only found here and in three other locations. It is purple-red, so it’s fairly easy to recognise.

Favorite places

One of my favourite places is Drottningleden. It doesn’t take long to get up there and you end up right out on the open mountainside with a fantastic view in all directions, and there is always a tree nearby that you can sit under for a coffee break, if you want shelter. Ängesdalslia is also a favourite. It is a groomed ski trail that goes between Ängesdalsvägen and Tärnaby. You can leave the trail and go out into the mountains. I also like Överuman, going out on the lake. Nice arctic char there too…