Aullwood Explore

The Troll that Hatched an Egg Exhibit

Come to Aullwood Audubon to see Bo, Bodil and Bibbi! These giant trolls built by Thomas Dambo have come to life at Aullwood Audubon and are ready for your visit.
Bibbi from "The Troll That Hatched an Egg." Photo: Ken Fasimpaur/Aullwood Audubon

 "The Troll That Hatched an Egg" is a story about a family of trolls—Bo, Bodil, and Bibbi—who are part of a large art installation by Danish artist Thomas Dambo at Aullwood Audubon in Dayton, Ohio. As part of the story, a Northern Cardinal befriends the troll family and tells them stories that spark their imagination. The curious daughter troll, Bibbi, sees a metal airplane and believes it's a giant bird that has dropped metallic "eggs". Convinced the eggs are real, she and her parents build a nest to hatch them, and she eventually tries to fly to find the "metal bird," inspired by the story and Dayton's aviation history. “The Troll That Hatched an Egg” includes trolls #83. #84, and #85 of Dambo-created trolls in the United States and Puerto Rico. The trolls are constructed from locally sourced, recycled materials such as old pallet wood, sticks, and logs. 

The Troll that Hatched an Egg Exhibition aims to encourage people to explore nature, appreciate the environment, and see how trash can be turned into something beautiful. 

Troll Etiquette

When visiting Aullwood Audubon’s exhibition, please adhere to the following guidelines:

Please stay on the trails to protect our plants and wildlife. 

Please do not climb, sit or stand on any part of the trolls, especially their hands and feet. The trolls want everyone to be safe. 

Please do hug the trolls. All trolls love to be hugged! 

Please do not collect anything from the property. Leaves, moss, lichens, twigs, branches, and fungus provide habitat and food for hundreds of animals and insects that live in our sanctuary. 

Who is Thomas Dambo?

Thomas Dambo is from Copenhagen, Denmark and is the world’s leading recycle artist. Thomas has been helping giant trolls come to life around the world for over 14 years. He worked with a team of local volunteers as well as members of his artistic team to construct the trolls at Aullwood using locally sourced materials to create the sculptures.

“Everything I make I try to make out of things laying around. This way I can build really big things with a very small footprint or impact,” says Dambo.

Dambo hopes that his trolls bring people into nature to explore. He also wants people see how scraps and garbage can be recycled into something meaningful and beautiful. He designs the trolls and writes the stories that explain who they are and what they are doing. You can learn more about Thomas Dambo and his work on his website at www.thomasdambo.com 

How does the troll exhibition relate to Aullwood?

Bibbi from "The Troll That Hatched an Egg", December 2021.

Thomas Dambo has a unique vision as a world-renowned creator and recycle art activist. His use of reclaimed and repurposed materials and his goal to help people reconsider what they regard as 'trash' is central to that vision and is an important conservation message that Aullwood Audubon shares. In the “The Troll That Hatched an Egg” exhibition, birds, nature and conservation are all reflected in the trolls’ story as written by Thomas Dambo. These are of course central to Aullwood Audubon’s mission as well. The exhibition also pays tribute to Dayton’s history of aviation and the wonder of children who see birds (and airplanes) fly for the first time. The  story of The Troll that Hatched an Egg is posted in the lobby of the nature center and farm discovery center and is available for purchase.  

Dambo hopes that his trolls bring people into nature to explore and appreciate the natural world in new ways. We also hope the trolls raise the visibility of our mission to protect birds and the places they need to survive and thrive from a fresh and imaginative angle with the themes of flight, nests and eggs, and lead to a long lasting appreciation of our world and its natural wonders. As in the troll's story, we hope the little red Cardinal singing songs about the great outside will be a lasting inspiration to all. 

How long will the trolls be at Aullwood Audubon?  

"The Troll that Hatched an Egg" is a permanent exhibit created especially for Aullwood Audubon by Thomas Dambo. As wooden creations, they will of course not last forever, but we do anticipate them remaining intact for a number of years. Thomas expects that the trolls will eventually return to the earth from whence they came!

What about the nest?

In 2025, Aullwood Audubon closed and de-installed the nest portion of “The Troll that Hatched an Egg" for safety reasons. The nest was nearly four years old and had reached the end of its expected lifespan; as with the trolls themselves, Thomas Dambo did not build the nest to be permanent. Our troll friends Bo, Bodil and Bibbi still await your visit!