15 Jul Sarah Green – She’s Got Nature in Her Name
City girl turned nature lover: Meet our ambassador Sarah Green. She uses her photography to capture the beauty of the outdoors, and shares her experiences as inspiration to protect and reconnect with nature. A fan of exploring in style and comfort, Sarah believes that enjoying time outside doesn’t have to be about hardcore survival. Glamping never looked so good.
With a name like Sarah Green, it sounds like you were made to be outdoors. Where does it come from?
My family name comes from my Swedish ancestors who were originally named Gren, which means tree branch. The extra -e was probably a spelling error in the churchbook. But it’s still related to nature either way!
Who is Sarah Green?
I am 36 years old, originally from the island of Bornholm. Bornholm is the furthest island from Denmark, closer to Sweden. I moved to the mainland at the age of 5, and lived in the south of Jutland until I was 21, when I relocated to Copenhagen.
You’ve been hanging out in the capital city of Denmark for the last 15 years. Where does nature come in?
I’m both a city girl and nature lover. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an ornithologist (someone who studies birds). Then, as a teenager, I was super into graphic design, and ended up at the best school of design in Copenhagen to pursue those interests. I don’t actually have this dream to live in the countryside. I think it’s a good thing to live in the city – it makes you appreciate nature even more when you get out. But I always enjoy coming back to Copenhagen – so much is going on here when it comes.
How often do you escape to the great outdoors?
I am so fortunate to be working as a professional outdoor photographer and travel blogger. My ambition is to be on the road one week out of every month. In Denmark, outdoor activities can be slightly more limited during the winter, so I do most of my traveling during the summer.
Tell us, how jealous are your friends?
Ha! When you see what I do from the outside, it’s easy to be jealous. But those close to me know that it’s also a lot of work. I don’t just sit and sip wine every day. To be honest, I’ve never worked as much as I have since I started my own company – I’m completely self employed.
What inspired you to start your own business?
Initially, I was doing graphic design at an interior design company full-time, and travel blogging during my free time. I really liked that job, but one day the company got sold and we were all fired. Quite a shock! A friend once told me she thought I should be traveling the world with my camera for a living. I thought it was wildly unrealistic. But once I stood there with the dismissal notice in my hand I knew I had to do it. And I just decided to believe in it.
So what type of camper are you?
I definitely prefer when it doesn’t have to be tough – I like a bit of comfort. You sleep better, and don’t wake up grumpy. I guess I’m still a bit of a city girl. At least I’m definitely not a hardcore surviver type! Although I’ll give tenting and a difficult hike a try every once in a while.
What’s your favorite season to travel in Denmark?
Late summer. There are so many colors, warm sunlight, flowers, and so much more to see and photograph. The light is golden, and the grass is turning more orange than green.
What are your top 3 nature experiences in Denmark?
- Bornholm: The island that I was born on is beautiful, and is the only place in Denmark where there are real cliffs and waterfalls
- Møns Klint: Gives you the heights, drama of the coastline, completely blue sea, and feeling of walking in the mountains that you miss when living in Denmark.
- West coast, and more specifically, Rubjerg Knude: Huge sand dunes with a lighthouse on top of it. The lighthouse was actually moved because it was falling into the sea. The dune is very tall, and gives a beautiful view of the ocean. It looks like a desert there.
What’s the craziest/most memorable adventure you’ve had in nature (worldwide)?
Orca experience – there’s something about whales that is so fascinating. They were swimming all around, super close to us. It made me feel so grateful to share the planet with these beautiful creatures. They have access to a world we don’t have access to, and they are so gentle and take care of each other. I also loooovvee the Arctic region of Northern Norway. It’s so wild there, and the northern lights are amazing.
What can we learn from Mother Earth?
I think it’s more of a feeling – how small and unimportant we are. Being in nature is the closest that I’ve gotten to feeling a powerful force outside of myself. Not something religious, but it’s like a religious belief. If everybody felt that, if they had this awareness, everyone would protect nature more. That’s what I try to do with my photos – capture the beauty of our world, and let others recognize that it’s worth seeing and protecting. I want to share that feeling of connection and a greater power.
Why have you agreed to be a Campanyon ambassador?
Camping and glamping are really great ways to experience nature. I want people to know that you don’t have to be a super-intense-outdoor-hardcore person to experience nature – there are so many other options! I think that your mission of reconnecting people with nature is a good fit for me.
