Arctic Botanic Garden planned in Storklinten

Five hectares in Storklinten are currently under review for the project, named Arctic Botanic Garden. The chosen location is adjacent to the Storklinten recreation facility in Boden Municipality and borders Sveaskogs Ekopark Storklinten

in Svartlå, about 30 minutes from central Boden. The land in question belongs to Storklinten Rekreation AB and is already part of their development plans.

The feasibility study will run until summer 2025. Boden Municipality serves as project owner, while project management is led by The Arctic Garden association. The board includes Kent Ögren (Chairman), Mats Berg (Head of Business Relations, Boden Municipality), Peter Engström (Storklinten), Mats Havström (Head of Research, Gothenburg Botanical Garden), Hans Dyhlén (Fundraising Advisor), Lena Vikström (Project Manager), and Åse Berglund (Senior Advisor).

“This feels very exciting, and having Gothenburg Botanical Garden with us brings extra weight and expertise to the project. We searched for and found this site, which is entirely suitable and has all the conditions needed for the plans,” says Kent Ögren, Chairman of The Arctic Garden.

A project group with representation from all board members is also connected to the work.

Visitor attraction and species conservation

The initiative is envisioned both as a new attraction—broadening the region’s and municipality’s tourism offer—and as a hub for conservation. The nearby area of Edeforsbygden already attracts international visitors with Treehotel, Arctic Bath, and Storklinten, along with a network of smaller tourism businesses.

“The proximity to the Storklinten holiday village, with accommodation and well-developed infrastructure primarily for winter activities, creates excellent conditions for year-round visitors. For us in Storklinten, this project also means securing the feeling of being ‘in the middle of nature’ for the future, by setting aside about 40 hectares of forest and water for the garden and its surroundings,” says Peter Engström, Storklinten.

He also highlights that a botanical garden aligns well with northern Sweden’s—and Boden’s—green transition, helping balance industry, nature, and the environment.

Equally important, Arctic Botanic Garden will support research and education connected to species preservation, seed banking, and biodiversity in northern Sweden.

Currently, Sweden has only five accredited botanical gardens working to conserve and research wild plants, with the northernmost located in Uppsala. Arctic Botanic Garden will thus represent all of northern Sweden, featuring alpine and arctic plants while also allowing visitors to experience the surrounding forest landscape.

Plans adapted for the Storklinten site include themed and demonstration gardens, an arctic and Norrbotten nature and culture section, a lichen garden, kitchen garden, water garden, and a visitor centre with a restaurant. Part of the area will also be dedicated to Carl Linnaeus’s early research in Norrbotten.

Local anchoring and job opportunities

“In the future, Arctic Botanic Garden will of course mean new job opportunities and collaborations in the area. During the feasibility study, we will hold local meetings to inform and engage in dialogue. For now, it is about adapting the plan to the site, preparing documentation for zoning, and building support for financing,” says Lena Vikström, Project Manager.

Region Norrbotten has contributed SEK 790,000 to the study, alongside SEK 300,000 from Längmanska Företagarfonden and support from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.