Seaweed and People - a powerful blend at TANGO Seaweed
Also this year, the harvest would not have progressed so smoothly (despite some bad weather periods) if it had not been for our interns.
Let them introduce themselves through their own words and unique perspectives on their time at TANGO Seaweed. Part 2
Yes, they are the wonderful helpers during the harvest, but they are so much more….
- Christian -
Hi everyone, my name is Christian and I came to Tango for a very exiting 2 month internship, which is actually a mandatory part of my Master’s degree in Aquaculture in Rostock, Germany. But just to confirm, I would have come here either way ;)
I am passionate about seaweed cultivation and I see myself in this emerging industry when I look into the future, I am actually laying the foundation for that right now. Back home in Rostock some friends and I founded “Alles Alge e.V.”, an NGO aiming at setting the path to a regional seaweed-based blue bioeconomy. So we work on everything: cultivation, utilization and public awareness. Stay tuned, there’s much to come!
Nevertheless, my practical knowledge was still lacking and I had never seen a seaweed farm operating “from the inside”. Lise Chapman and her team gave me the opportunity to change that. Here during the harvest season, I am learning all the dos and don’ts of operating a seaweed farm and I could get my hands dirty during all steps of the process, out at sea and at Tango’s new facility in Haugsbygda. And trust me, sometimes you will get dirty. But Victor will hose you down after a long day and his stoic expression will ultimately fail to hide the fact that he has the time of his life getting you wet. Just act as if you are being washed away and you’ll see.
Norway is a special place. You see, I would normally consider myself a palm trees and coral reefs kind of guy. All my travels so far have led me to places where I would sweat in the scorching sun, but actually I learned there’s not many things on this planet that feel better than an ice-cold bath in the fjord on a sunny morning. And we had surprisingly many of them here, no wonder this area is called the Sunmøre (“sun coast”) in Norwegian.
Obviously, the weather isn’t always perfect, but as a group we always made the best of it. I am really thankful to Tabatha, Willy, the wild man, Laura and Pinocchio for the times we spent together in our cozy little hut and out and about exploring the surroundings. Being close is a necessity under the given circumstances, but we made it a virtue. And finally, I want to thank Lise and the whole Tango team from the bottom of my heart for the warm welcome and for giving me the feeling of being a new member of the family, a feeling that will definitely stay a lot longer than I will actually still be here in Norway.
- Julian -
Hey! My name is Julian, and I am a TANGO intern from Costa Rica currently finishing my last year of studies in Environmental Health Sciences and Food Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During my time at university, I have been able to explore many different projects and passions: from researching the intricacies of the ethical tourism industry in the beaches and towns of Sardinia to creating media journalism pieces about the cultural identity of Jacksonville, Florida, I have gradually been finding my professional and academic path, and seaweed has now become quite an important aspect of this adventure!
I first became interested in the seaweed industry when realizing that my passion within environmental health sciences is bound to the connection between humans and their natural environment. More than simply focusing on the pressing issues our world is facing and the consequences that these may have, I want to dedicate my energy towards positive solutions that allow me to work closely with people and the ecosystems they inhabit. TANGO is a first step for me in exploring the business side of environmentalism, in expanding my idea of what it means to be a changemaker, and in collaborating with so many passionate, likeminded, and fascinating people.
It is quite often that I need to take a step back and realize how incredible the TANGO internship is as both a professional and personal opportunity. Apart from the continuous learning about the seaweed industry that happens at every step of the harvesting process, it is truly such a magical life experience to be living in a Norwegian fjord and interacting everyday with its people, its unpredictable weather, and its stunning beauty. From sharing countless waffles and (brown) cheese together to travelling to the remote corners of this rugged country, and from diving in the crystal-clear waters among kelp fields to participating in a village-wide horseshoe tournament, spending time with the rest of the TANGO team will be the highlight of this summer, and I am so glad to have met these wonderful people.
Thank you to the entire TANGO team for turning Haugsbygda into a slice of home halfway across the world!
- Laura -
Hello, I'm Laura, a 28-year-old recent graduate from Kiel University in Northern Germany, where I completed my masters in Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship. I stumbled upon the opportunity to intern at Tango through a friend who forwarded me the call for interns on Instagram; “you like all things ocean, don’t you?”
I did not have prior experience with seaweed but I do love to be in, by or near the ocean as much as possible. Also, my excitement to explore Norway was instantly triggered when thinking of snowy mountains, towering cliffs, arctic surf and cardamom buns. That is why I decided to do a road trip from Kiel, driving through Denmark and venturing along the Norwegian coastline, which let me down narrow streets and up steep mountain roads or trailing behind a circus truck in first gear. I had the privilege of staying with a welcoming Norwegian family in the suburbs of Bergen and fulfilling my dream of surfing in Hoddevika.
After an eventful road trip, my first weeks at Tango were equally exciting. Standing between the ropes of seaweed for the first time felt special as if I were submerged underwater with them. Engaging in the physical work of the harvest was thrilling, and at night, I slept soundly, happily exhausted from cutting, crushing, hanging, and sorting seaweed. Adjusting to Tango's rhythm of life in Haugsbygda was easy—it involved Norwegian folk music, an abundance of coffee, rescuing lumpsuckers, cold dips in the Fjord, post-work chats and outings to observe Puffins, embark on hikes and explore every hidden fjord in the area.
With a background in communication and media, my vocabulary of latin terms of seaweed and marine science jargon is limited. Nevertheless, I have already absorbed a lot of knowledge about various species, the Norwegian marine habitat and the fact that seaweed has holdfasts instead of roots. Also, you can find delicious ways to incorporate seaweed into any dish, so that most days we end up eating at least one meal with it. My absolute favorite is Tabea's homemade sourdough bread, prepared with seaweed that we collected while diving off the coast of the nearby island of Runde.
Essentially, I find myself living the life of a marine biologist that I dreamed of as an 8-years-old combined with a culinary extravaganza set in a remote Norwegian fjord. If you share my excitement for the ocean and feel drawn to the fjord-life, regardless of your background, I wholeheartedly recommend applying for the internship programme.
