It was Karin Kittelson who suggested that I meet up with Irma Krang, whom Karin described as “quite a character.” And that description was true. Irma lives in a hut made out of branches and wears a hat made out of leaves. Once a student of herbology she has now turned all her energy into preserving the forests of northern Dalecarlia. “I grew up here and see how the muggles are cutting down trees with their modern tools like it was a matter of getting a haircut! I had no problems with the muggles in the past since they were more selective and careful when they cut down the trees. Not they go in with their big machines and destroy all the herbs and disturb the spirits.”

Irma got fed up with this and wanted to form a protest group, but found little support. Most swedish and norwegian wizards and witches are living in urban areas and the ones living in the countryside are old. So Irma turned to the one who also has issues with the muggle foresters - the Vitta. They are nature spirit, live underground and are devoted to their cattle. For muggles they are invisible and the Vittra do not meddle in muggle affairs unless provoked. But now their lands are exploited and their cattle threatened. The Vittra lives in small communities, mostly three or four, and was not been able to drive the muggles away. That is, until Irma came along. She created a network of Vittra and created “The Swedish-Norwegian union of Vittra for forest preservation.”

With an army of Vittra, Irma has been able to run several forestry companies out of business. Machinery has been sabotaged and trees charmed making it impossible to cut them down. It’s a miracle that no muggle has been hurt. Their efforts have paid of, many ancient herbs have been saved and the Vittra is once again able to walk their cattle in the forests.

But now there is a new threat, muggle wind power (it is a way for muggle to get electricity that powers their tools and strange gadgets.) that created huge impact on the landscape. But Irma has plans, “Me and the Vittra is working on strategies to address this new problem and is currently trying to seek assistance from the respective ministries of magic in Norway and Sweden.” And then she rushes off to for a meeting with the Vittra, but not until she gives me the name of another local activist.