Birch Trees, Iceland, 2013
When one thinks of Iceland, typically it is of a treeless, barren land. So I was surprised and delighted to come upon this idyllic birch forest on a walk one day during my second visit to Iceland, in 2013.
Before Iceland was settled, trees covered 25–40% of the land, and birches were common. Over the centuries, trees were cut for building material, for fuel, and to make grazing land for livestock, leaving the land almost devoid of forests. Recently reforestation efforts have begun to bring back the trees.