Snowchange

09/09/2025

Sevettijärvi, a Skolt Sámi Lake Restoration Project Concludes

Since decision by the Skolt Sámi Village Council, Snowchange has been restoring the central lake of the Sámi - Sevettijärvi. It suffered from erosion and hydrological problems since 1980s.

The project begun with decisions and planning in 2015-17. Then following licensing 2017-21 the work got under way. Main actions included the Jäniskoski rapids restoration and erosion controls for Kunnanniemi, Martinniemi and Porttiniemi capes. Additionally large scientific activities yielded breakthrough results on microplastics detection, water quality and fish health. Several Sámi from the community worked as co-reseachers and monitoring coordinators.

Snowchange

15/08/2025

A New Namesake Site Honors the Lifework of Adjunct Professor, Plant Ecologist Annamari Markkola

Laineensuo, a 26 hectare peatland in North Karelia has been assigned today the namesake site of Adjunct Professor, Plant Ecologist Annamari Markkola due to her long-term commitment to the Finnish nature.

Snowchange

11/08/2025

Brook Lamprey Wilderness Trail in Jukajärvi

City of Joensuu promotes the Snowchange-funded Brook Lamprey Nature Trail in Jukajärvi, North Karelia.

See more in Finnish from the link.

Snowchange

01/08/2025

Makkaralatva-aapa Restored

Makkaralatva-aapa, one of the sites of the Climate Breakthrough initiative, has been now fully restored. It totals 330 hectares in Ranua, Finland.

Makkaralatva-aapa is an aapa mire located close to the Arctic Circle in Finland. It is a biodiverse and important landscape-level ecosystem that has been now fully restored. There was some ditching on the Western, Southern and Eastern parts of the peatland despite preserving large integrity. Henri Leskinen, a Snowchange restoration specialist, worked and restored the sine from June to July.
The peatland represents also a very important extension to the Litokaira protected area of 330,000 ha as it is next to this Nature 2000 site.

Snowchange

06/07/2025

Helsingin Sanomat Newspaper has a major Report on Koitajoki

Hs reports on the Koitajoki rewilding and cultural heritage work (in Finnish). Link below.

Snowchange

02/07/2025

Major Funding for Wild Forest Reindeer in Finland

Finland has secured substantial EU LIFE funding to support the conservation and population management of the Finnish wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus), a native subspecies of the circumpolarly distributed reindeer. The seven-year project, LIFEline4Fennicus, aims to strengthen the long-term viability of the population through targeted conservation measures.

Starting in 2026, the project builds on the updated conservation and management plan for the wild forest reindeer and continues the work of the earlier WildForestReideerLIFE project, which concluded in 2023. The new project introduces a wide range of conservation actions to safeguard the future of this forest dwelling subspecies.

“The backbone of the project consists of reinforcements in Lauhanvuori and Seitseminen National Parks and a reintroduction in Tiilikkajärvi National Park. Reinforcements support the existing population, while reintroduction brings the species back to its former range”, says Milla Niemi, senior specialist at Metsähallitus and lead author of the funding proposal.

“We will also continue and expand our collaboration with reindeer herding cooperatives to protect the genetic integrity of the wild forest reindeer, improve our understanding of its habitat use, and restore extensive areas of suitable habitat in preparation for its possible later return to North Karelia,” she adds.

In addition to proven methods, the project will also pioneer new approaches. These include the development of assisted reproductive technologies for the wild forest reindeer and the biobanking of genetic material.

“This will help maintain the genetic diversity of the captive population and ensure the availability of suitable founder individuals for future reinforcements and reintroductions,” Niemi explains. The new techniques will also provide important safeguards in the event of a sudden population decline, such as one caused by a disease outbreak.

The wild forest reindeer once ranged widely across Finland and was found throughout the country as recently as the 17th century. By the 1920s, however, it had been hunted to extinction within national borders. A natural recovery began in the 1950s, enabled by a remnant population that had survived just across the eastern border. Today, the subspecies occurs in Finland and parts of northwestern Russia. The total global population is estimated at around 5,000 individuals, with approximately 3,000 living in Finland, where the main threats to the species include habitat fragmentation, predation by large carnivores, and traffic. In Russia, poaching has been a serious concern.

The LIFEline4Fennicus project is coordinated by Metsähallitus, Parks & Wildlife Finland. Project partners include the Natural Resources Institute Finland, Snowchange Cooperative, Korkeasaari Zoo, and Ranua Wildlife Park. In addition to the EU LIFE Programme, the project is supported by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of the Environment, the European Wildlife Comeback Fund, the Raija and Ossi Tuuliainen Foundation, and the participating organisations themselves. The total budget is approximately EUR 9.55 million, of which 60 % is covered by EU funding.

The LIFE Programme is the European Union’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. It supports nature conservation projects and the implementation of EU environmental policy.

Snowchange

30/06/2025

Ilvesmaa-Leväkangas is Central to Regional Biodiversity

One of the highlights of the year so far is the Siikajoki natural forests and peatlands complex – Ilvesmaa and Leväkangas. They are located in northwestern Finland and constitute some of the only natural intact landscape-level sites in the region of Northern Ostrobothia.

Ilvesmaa-Leväkangas natural forests and peatlands are approximately 100 hectares total area. Whilst some logging has taken place in recent decades, these sites have preserved much of their natural characteristics. They are currently inventoried for species and ecosystem types.
They constitute a very important regional natural intact landscape-level sites in Siikajoki and are therefore of vital importance in the area of North Ostrobothia.

Snowchange

08/06/2025

YLE Reports on the Rewilding Programme

National broadcaster YLE reported recently on the Landscape Rewilding Programme.

Link available below.

Snowchange

27/05/2025

Traditional Knowledge and Conservation Priorities of Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

A new science paper highlights the status and trends as well as previously unknown TEK of squirrel.

The Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) has played an important role in Finnish traditional culture and livelihoods since pre-historic times. This paper analyzes the current role, status, and trends of the red squirrel using both available scientific evidence and testimonies from oral historians who were immersed in Finland's boreal hunting societies during the mid-1900s.
The convergence of observations points to the decline of this iconic mammal of northern forests and increased migration to urban habitats. Red squirrels are not currently seen as being of great relevance to conservation efforts, despite their central role in spreading seeds and in boreal predator–prey food chains.
If the animal is lost from Finland's remaining boreal timber forests, their absence may have consequences that are not yet understood. This article contains previously unavailable cultural knowledge of the Eurasian red squirrel, directly curated by knowledge holders. It presents an important nexus of different ways of knowing.

Snowchange

29/04/2025

A New Peatland Restoration Atlas Released to Support Polish And Eastern European Restoration

Snowchange participates in a Nordic project to support Polish and Ukrainian efforts to boost restoration in the region. A recent field visit collected experts from three countries and saw the release of the much-anticipated "Peatland Restoration Atlas" developed by Snowchange for the partners.

The Nordic Council funded project "Nature-based solutions in open wetlands restoration for biodiversity, water quality improvement and climate mitigation" has partners in Poland, Ukraine and Finland. It is coordinated by Ogólnopolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków - OTOP, a birding organization from Poland.
Snowchange helped to develop the "Peatland Restoration Atlas" (link below) for the Ukrainian and Polish partners. On a recent field visit several restoration sites were discussed between project partners, and the trip included visits to Bagno Bubnów meadow restoration, Holeszów re-wetting site and several more including national parks in Poland.
The Atlas itself contains already the first mapped sites and includes for example highlights such as

Haidamatske Swamp Nature reserve

The Haidamatske Swamp Reserve, covering 751.7 hectares in the Zheryvskyi and Obukhivetskyi forestry districts, holds both natural and historical significance. It served as a shelter for Haidamaka bands in the 18th century and later for partisans during wartime conflicts. The reserve features mixed pine-oak forests, raised bogs, and a diverse array of plant and animal species, including rare and protected flora like Pasque flower and Early-purple orchid, and fauna such as the European pond turtle and the Eurasian lynx. The area is home to unique ecosystems, including sphagnum bogs, but faces potential threats from logging and drainage. Efforts are underway to monitor and protect this important site through ongoing Environmental Impact Assessments.

Irdyn Swamp
Irdyn Swamp, located in Ukraine's Cherkasy region, is a crucial wetland ecosystem that shelters a wide variety of protected species. The swamp, which was historically used for peat extraction, is now a candidate for national park status due to its biodiversity. It is home to rare species such as the red-bellied toad (Bombina bombina), white stork (Ciconia ciconia), Apollo butterfly (Parnassius mnemosyne), and the large oak longhorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo). In total, over 250 populations of protected species have been recorded here, with many listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and the IUCN Red List. Since 2019, the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group has been advocating for the establishment of the "Irdynske" National Nature Park, which will play a key role in preserving these species and the natural heritage of the region.

The project will conclude in the Autumn with further reporting on results of the Atlas.