“In nature, there is no landfill. Nature is circular, everything has a meaning and everything is recycled,” explains Danish recycle artist, activist and Troll creator, Thomas Dambo (nwtroll.com).

It all started with birdhouses. As part of a design school project, Dambo created and installed colorful birdhouses made from discarded plywood throughout Demark. Thus began his interest in creating objects from reclaimed materials and bringing awareness to the importance of protecting animals in nature. He created his first troll sculptures for a Danish musical festival in 2014 and soon after began experimenting with large scale sculptures made from recycled wood.

In 2023, Dambo created “NWTrolls: Way of the Bird King,” six giant giants (redundancy intended) made from construction scrap wood, used pallets, found objects including shells, tree branches, stones and other organic material. Distributed throughout the Pacific Northwest, the trolls integrate harmoniously with their surroundings, and are intended to connect people with nature, bring attention to the importance of recycling and environmental sustainability. He hopes “to inspire everyone to have fun and think of ‘trash’ as a valuable resource.” While these whimsical sculptures originate in Norse mythology and folklore, Dambo consulted with the Coast Salish tribal community to “integrate shared values of protecting the natural resources” (nwtrolls.com). The hands, feet and head of the trolls were built in Denmark, shipped to their respective locations where local volunteers constructed the body and bulk of the trolls (nwtrolls). Each troll also features a poem that conveys their message and “ignites conversations around environmental stewardship and the importance of living harmoniously with nature” (Vashon-maury.com).

Armed with the backstory, let’s go on a troll hunt through the Pacific Northwest….. (the colored birdhouses along the trails will let us know we’re getting close…)

Oscar the Bird King, Vashon, Washington

Oscar, a once ordinary young wooden troll, goes off on a great adventure in Dambo’s fairytale Way of the Bird King, which mirrors Dambo’s own road trip in the US. Trekking through the forest, mountains, and waters, and meeting people and Orcas along the way, the now mature troll rests on Vashon Island. Sitting at over 20 feet tall, Oscar holds court pointing a finger towards the earth’s inhabitants, challenging them to reflect on their role in the environment (vashonbeachcomber.com). Oscar boasts a crown of birdhouses made from wood scraps and recycled materials.

Jakob Two Trees Troll, Issaquah, Washington

Standing at approximately 14-feet, Jakob stares down at passersby on the Rainer Trail. He is the first troll to sport a ponytail, with the band made by the Snoqualmie tribe, blending Coast Salish and Scandinavian traditions. He also wears a necklace made of birdhouses, inviting forest creatures to join him. Holding on to two trees, his poem reminds us to “stop and breathe in – breathe out. Behold.”

Pia the Peacekeeper, Bainbridge Island, Washington

*Photo by Allison Tourville, Smithsonian Magazine*

“Pretty pretty please, let’s keep the peace beneath the trees” reads the beginning of Pia’s poem. The 18-foot-high playful troll sits on the ground in Sakai Park, with her hands in a peace sign formation. Visitors can “stand in the middle [of her hands] … to be ‘squeezed’” as a gentle reminder to keep quiet (bioarks.org). Her relaxed manner and position on the ground emphasizes a nearness to the earth, and a literal “down-to-earth” demeanor.

Bruun Idun, West Seattle, Washington

Standing on the shoreline to the Puget Sound, Bruun plays a song to the Orcas on his flute, asking them “where they all had gone.” Indigenous artist John “Coyote” Halliday carved a flute with killer whales, “symbolizing the call for whales back to the Salish Sea” (nwtrolls.com) and decorated the troll with traditional cedar and abalone shells. Incorporating these objects into the troll exemplifies the cultural, spiritual and economic significance of the Orcas to the indigenous way of life, and reinforces the message of taking care of Mother Earth and being conscientious stewards of the planet.

Ole Bolle, Portland, Oregon

Opening the roof of a small red cabin and peeking inside, Ole Bolle thinks the life-size cabin is actually his cookie jar. As his poem explains, his “belly rumbles” from whatever the “little people” are baking “in the big red cookie jar.” Visitors can go inside to get a sense of the child-like troll peering down into the traditional “Fogelbo” (meaning ‘bird’s nest’) house, which, like Ole, is made from reclaimed wood. His origins are from an old Danish song.

Frankie Feetsplinter, Ballard, Washington

The youngest and angriest of the trolls, Frankie Feetsplinter is shown smashing a wooden bench in front of the National Nordic Museum. Unlike the other trolls located in the forest, Frankie stands in stark contrast to the clean lines and subdued grays of the museum’s Scandinavian design. Frankie is mischievous and destructive, “his grasping hands await slow-moving humans who venture too close” (pinesandvines.com).

The NW Trolls are meant to be temporary installations. Each site partner will maintain the sculpture for the next three years, but they were not meant to stand forever. In the same way that they were created from wood that originally served another purpose, the trolls too will recycle into other forms (ecodisciple.com).

Back home in California, we don’t have too far to travel to visit our own Dambo created gentle giant. Solvang, the Danish-themed town, now features troll Lulu Hyggelig. In addition to wooden pallets donated by local wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley, Lulu is also made from wine barrels in a nod to the region’s vineyards. The first permanent troll in California, she’s also the first one to live indoors. Squeezed into the California Nature Art Museum, at 35-feet the once tiny troll appears to be bursting out of her tower after eating the beloved local pastries, one of which can be seen next to her. A true Cali kid, Lulu also features a giant eyebrow piercing.

Happy troll hunting!

Where The Wild Things Are