My name is Swantje Furtak and fascinated by peatlands and their stories
I studied biochemistry in Greifswald, where I submerged in the subject of peatlands. Alongside my studies, I completed three-years of journalism training at the ifp in Munich.
As a journalist, I have reported on peatlands for publications including Die ZEIT, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, KATAPULT MV, Greenpeace Magazine, leibniz Magazine, Stern and the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
In 2023, Frankie Turk and I won the ReScript the Future competition organised by the production company waterbear. This enabled us to shoot the documentary film „In Death is Life„. Over the past two years, I have been working with peatland professor Hans Joosten to write the non-fiction book „Peatlands are like humans, just wetter„. It was published by Katapult Verlag in May 2024.
The Peatland and I
essay
In Death is Life
documentary film
Peatlands are like humans, just wetter
non-fiction book
Currently
In February, I completed my Master’s degree in ‘Environment and Society’ at the Rachel Carson Centre. To put this knowledge into practice, I am currently working on an interdisciplinary project called ‘Will-o’-the-Wisps’. As part of this, we will be building an uncommon path into the reeds between April and December 2026.
More information will follow shortly.
Since summer 2025, I have been a member of the board of trustees of the Moorbibliothek Foundation and advise the Federal Ministry for the Environment as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Both are voluntary, unpaid positions.
contact
mail: furtakswantje[at]gmail.com
instagram: @swantjefurtak