Nature

Among other things, gliding squirrels thrive in the new nature reserves in northern Espoo. The city plans to establish several new nature reserves in the coming years.

Three new nature reserves have been created in northern Espoo, the city says in a press release.

New nature reserves The Liselott nature reserve is on Lake Siikka.

Liselott, which covers 2.4 hectares, is a valuable forest area with aspen and spruce trees, according to the city.

Breeding and resting places for flying squirrels have been found in the area. There is also a lot of rotting wood, which is important for biodiversity.

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Espoo establishes three new nature reservesRead More »

According to Managing Director Juha S. Niemelä, maintaining even current national parks requires a lot of money.

According to Niemelä, the maintenance of the current 41 national parks requires a lot of money, and their funding is not always even enough for the necessary maintenance.

The Ministry of the Environment has received numerous applications for new national parks, such as Kolar’s Aalistunturi, where logging was stopped this week by a protest.

According to Niemelä, the national park proposal should not be a way to prevent the cutting down of state forests.

More than 40 comments were received on the environmental impact assessment of the project.

The South Ostrobothnia Regional Development Centre calls for more attention to be paid to underwater nature and winter shipping in the planning of a giant offshore wind farm.

Skyborn Renewables Offshore Finland plans to build up to 120 power plants in the sea area off Kokkola, Pietarsaari and Uusikaarlepy. It would be located about 25 km off the coast.

The company’s environmental impact assessment programme received 46 comments and five opinions.

Traficom and Väylävirasto state in their statements that the evaluation should clarify the effects of the park on the shipping of the Gulf of Bothnia, both nationally and with a cross-border examination.

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Ely-Keskus: more attention to be paid to the effects of the Jättimäinen offshore wind farm on underwater nature and shippingRead More »

Investing in forest regeneration is in everyone’s interest. The renewed certification that will come into force at the beginning of February will also strengthen the sustainability of forest management and wood production.

Industrial demand for wood is at a significant level. This is due to the end of Russian timber imports, investments to increase the use of wood and the demand for energy wood.

Last year, 1.4 million cubic metres of wood were purchased from private forests in Lapland. This is 100,000 cubic metres less than the year before. Similarly, three million cubic metres were purchased in North Ostrobothnia and 1.8 million in Kainuu.

In Lapland, regional differences in the timber market are large. There are challenges in certain areas of Upper Lapland and Eastern Lapland, but the demand for energy wood has stimulated the timber market in these areas as well.

– This year, taking care of the growth condition of young forests and investing in the renewal of forests, i.e. increasing the amount of cultivation, will be particularly emphasized, states Heikkonen.

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A busy year of timber trade expected in Lapland – MTK says it is important to take care of the growth condition of young forestsRead More »

Last year, a citizens’ initiative brought results. Initially, open water swimming will be organised as a four-time trial.

Posians will have a new open-air swimming venue. It will open at the end of January in the Kirikeskus, a hotel in a mountain resort.

The open-air swimming spot was the result of a local initiative last winter.

Initially, open water swimming will be organised as a four-way trial.

The swimming spot is organized in cooperation with Posio municipality, Posio Pyrintö and Erämaahotelli Kirikeskus.

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Posians can take a dip in the open water at the end of JanuaryRead More »

A skating track of more than two kilometres appeared in Kontiolahti at the beginning of December. Now it is flooded with skaters and the lights of headlamps show that even the darkness of mid-winter does not stop skaters from enjoying the ice.

The light of an ice rink shines in the dusky evening on the ice of the small Onkilampi pond in Lehmo, Kontiolahti. Next to the lantern is a fresh sign directing pilgrims to dig the openings away from the newly opened skating rink, so that water does not rise to the ice and spoil the nature sports site, which was built with the help of volunteers.

However, Santa Claus from the Lehmo Village Association heard about the men’s efforts, and remembered them with a gift basket. Now a Lehmo entrepreneur has also started to sponsor fuel costs for the ploughmen.

Backcountry skiing is on a great upswing. In just a few years, the number of enthusiasts has increased by several thousand.

In addition to the people of Talkoo and companies, some municipalities have also made the joys of excursion skating possible. For example, a 10-kilometer track on the ice of Tuusulanjärvi is being prepared in cooperation between the two municipalities.

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Two men worked together to create an amazing skating rink on Onkilampi iceRead More »

Lake Liesjärvi was particularly popular with young adults. People often visit the national park with their own family or friends.

The Liesjärvi National Park in the Häme Lake District is a popular destination for hikers, especially from the Helsinki metropolitan area. Of the respondents to the recently published visitor survey, 38% said their place of residence was either Helsinki (22%), Espoo (8%) or Vantaa (8%).

In the survey year 2021, a record 61 000 visitors visited the national park, double the number in the previous survey year 2010. Two thirds of the visitors were first-time visitors.

According to a Metsähallitus release, Lake Liesjärvi was particularly popular with young adults. The largest age groups of respondents were 25-34 years old (26%) and 35-44 years old (22%). People often visit the national park with their own family or friends.

On a day visit, you will stay in the park for about five hours. 40 percent of the respondents stayed overnight in the area. The most common way to stay overnight was a tent or other private accommodation, 10 percent of those staying overnight stayed in a rented cabin and nine percent in a mobile home or trailer.

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Liesjärvi National Park attracts especially people from the Helsinki metropolitan areaRead More »

According to Metsähallitus, however, the work to protect the mink must be continued systematically, because, for example, the warming Arctic climate is a threat to the recovering mink population.

Cooperation between Finland, Sweden and Norway has produced good results in protecting the mink. According to Metsähallitus, a total of 762 mink pups were found last summer.

A total of 162 nests were confirmed. One of these was in the Enontekiö fells, when the mink successfully nested in Finland for the first time since 1996. Record breeding results were also achieved in Sweden and Norway.

– However, conservation work must continue systematically. For example, the warming Arctic climate is a threat to the recovering female population,” says Tuomo Ollila, Chief Inspector of Metsähallitus’ Nature Services.

The fox is still extremely endangered in Finland and extremely endangered in Norway and Sweden.

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Finland, Sweden and Norway have worked well together to protect the Naal – 762 pups were found last summerRead More »

The Uusimaa ELY Centre requests a report that must show, among other things, the number of trees felled by species and the amount of groundwood left in the area.

The Uusimaa Environment Centre asks Espoo to report on forestry work in the Träskända Manor Park nature reserve. The area was felled under contract to the city because of spruce trees killed by a bookworm and the safety concerns they raised.

A school and two kindergartens are located next to the nature reserve.

The felling was carried out during the Christmas holidays, between 27.12.2022 and 3.1.2023. The City of Espoo continued to move the felled trunks outside the nature reserve, so that the tall trunks stacked in the immediate vicinity of the kindergarten and school would not pose a danger to people walking in the area. The plan was also to return some of the stumps back to the protected area at a later date as ground hops.

The Ely center requires a report on the implementation, guidance and communication of logging. The report must include as accurate information as possible on the amount of trees felled in the area by tree species and degree of roughness, as well as an estimate of how much of the felled wood was left or returned to the nature reserve after the work was finished as ground wood.

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The City of Espoo has to report on the felling of trees in the Träskända Manor Park nature reserveRead More »

The police thought it likely that the same deer would have been the subject of a subsequent police operation, but injured.

A police decision to cull a deer in Tampere has attracted criticism on social media.

In Tampere, an animal resembling a reindeer was seen in the middle of the busy Lielahti shopping area at the end of Easter.

According to the police, the animal was agitated and was moving in an area with heavy traffic. The police patrol said they had put the animal down for safety reasons, as it could not be driven off despite attempts.

The police said in a press release that the animal was later identified as a forest deer. The police received many inquiries on the subject and further clarified the matter.

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Police respond to criticism: this is why we shot a deer in TampereRead More »