(WSB photos)

Almost nine months after her installation, Bruun Idun the troll remains a popular attraction at Lincoln Park. Today, her visitors included dozens of students from Pathfinder K-8, on a doubleheader field trip. First they released salmon fry at Fauntleroy Creek, not far from the park; then they went to visit the troll. Their time there was highlighted by a short talk from docent Jane Gunwaldsen, who talked about the connection between the Nordic nations – including troll creator Thomas Dambo‘s native Denmark – and the Northwest, including Indigenous traditions caring for the land and water.

Bruun Idun and the other trolls, you might recall, are meant to be symbols of environmental stewardship, made from discarded/reclaimed/found material. Jane told the students that Dambo has installed trolls in 17 countries including ours. Also of note: The students along for today’s field trip included about half a dozen living with disabilities – Salmon in the Schools volunteer Judy Pickens explains that the program has expanded to find new ways of including students outside the general-education classroom environment. (This year’s Fauntleroy Creek releases run through the end of the month.)