Thomas Dambo, The Grandmother Tree
October 2025
Five giant trolls now live in the woods of Dix Park, built from reclaimed wood by artist Thomas Dambo and hundreds of Raleigh volunteers.
Tucked into pine groves and under century-old oaks, the trolls turn a walk through Dix Park into a quest. Families map out routes, kids race ahead to be the first to spot a giant face in the trees, and visitors from across the state and beyond make the trip to Raleigh to meet them. Each troll invites you to slow down, look closer, and experience the park’s natural landscape in a new way.
They also carry a message we care about. Every troll is made from what someone else threw away: barn wood, fence boards, pallets, old whiskey barrels and fallen branches. Thomas’ mission is “Waste No More,” and his trolls make the case for caring for the natural world better than any lecture could.
Like all living things at Dix Park, our trolls require ongoing care. Your gift today will help ensure Dix, Dax, Dux, Mother Strong Tail and Daddy Bird Eye—and the park—receive the thoughtful stewardship and care needed to be enjoyed by generations to come!
300+
community volunteers
3
weeks to build
5
trolls at dix park
7
trolls across NC
Hundreds of volunteers. Three weeks. Five Trolls.
Thomas Dambo doesn’t ship his trolls in on a truck. They’re built on site, by hand, with the community. Over three weeks, hundreds of community volunteers worked alongside Thomas and his team at Dix Park sorting reclaimed lumber, cutting and fitting thousands of boards, weaving branches into hair.
Some came for an afternoon. Some came every day. Every one of them left a piece of themselves in the park.
Meet our Trolls
Daddy bird Eye
From his shady perch, Daddy Bird Eye gazes out at the city skyline, keeping watch over The Grove and all who wander through.
Dax
From his shady perch, Daddy Bird Eye gazes out at the city skyline, keeping watch over The Grove and all who wander through.
mother strong tail
Nestled in the forest, Mother Strong Tail rests for a moment, keeping an ever-watchful eye on her curious little ones.
Dux
No peeking! Beneath the branches, Dux counts softly, pretending not to listen for his brother’s footsteps.
Dix
Closest to her mother’s side, Dix holds tight to the very tip of mother’s long, winding tail as she peers out of the woods.
The Making of the Dix Park Trolls
The Grandmother Tree
Seven trolls stretch across the Piedmont, each guarding a secret symbol. Find all seven, and the Trollmap will tell you where the enchanted Grandmother Tree is hiding.
Between these 20 rhymes, you’ll meet some different characters
seven trolls, a big old tree, and then you, you’re the narrator
First, the trolls, a mother and a father, and their fivelings
They grew up in a forest somewhere under the horizon
And then, second is the Grandmother, a mighty ancient tree
The beacon of the forest, without her, they all grow aimlessly
And then the third is you, your name is written in the caption
In the center of the action, you decide what’s next to happen
But one species, all trolls, has learned to fear through evolution
Invasive, a pollution, you must never trust a human
A human seeks the oldest trees, to kill and cut them down
and chop it up in tiny pieces, haul it, burn it in their town
And so the trolls have cast a spell, enchanted the grandmother tree
So no human can find her; now she looks like any other tree
But every time the moon is dark, the red wolves howl and bark
This is the sign that sparks the start, the trolls to search the park
Where they go is a secret; you can come if you can keep it
swear to never speak it, eat it, never to repeat it
One troll is in Charlotte, one in High Point, five in Dix Park
Seven secret symbols on the trollmap, you must start
“This isn’t just about public art. It’s about inviting people to step into the story, to leave behind the digital world for a few hours and make something real with twigs, twine, and teamwork.”
About Thomas Dambo
Thomas Dambo is an internationally acclaimed artist and environmental storyteller. Based on a farm in the Danish countryside, Thomas began his creative life building toys, costumes, and treehouses out of recycled materials—skills taught by his parents. He holds a degree in Interactive Design from Kolding Design School and is now one of the world’s leading voices in the upcycling movement. His stated mission is simple but profound: “Waste No More.” Through large-scale, whimsical trolls made entirely from repurposed materials, he shows the world that what’s discarded can still hold beauty, meaning, and magic.
Thank you to our village
Project Partners
Donors
The Trolls are a gift from these donors
Private gifts to the Conservancy made the Dix Park trolls possible. Gifts of any size keep art like this coming to the park.
Principal Supporters
Marjorie Hodges & Carlton Midyette
Pat & Tom Gipson
Additional Support
Eileen and Mike Hendren
Gail & Eric Vaughn
Susan & Randall Ward
Nancy & Monty White
Delta Airlines
Martin Marietta
Rotary Club of Raleigh
Carlyle Adams Foundation
The Jandy Ammons Foundation
