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Profile

Goals/Priority Areas

Protection of Forests

Protection of Freshwater Ecosystems

Landscape Management

Protection of the Baltic Sea

Protection of the Arctic Environment

WWF-Finland: In the International Arena

What You Can Do


 
landscape management


landscaped gardens Traditional Finnish landscapes have been formed by agricultural practices. The change in these practices has, therefore, greatly affected the flora and fauna of the country. The end of extensive cattle grazing is one example. Many species of flora and fauna have become threatened or even endangered as a result of its phasing out. Flowering meadows with fluttering clouds of butterflies are seldom found in the country now. Even the flocks of starlings that used to swarm above cattle pastures have become a rare sight. So have the swallows which used to circle around cowsheds. As the cowsheds emptied, the population of the birds found around them also decreased.

The disappearance of open ditches which were earlier found in intensively cultivated fields and were a habitat for many species has also had a telling effect on the ecology. Species like the grey partridge and the corncrake can no longer find shelter or food in the underdrained fields. Cornflowers, clustered bellflowers and butterfly orchids are also disappearing with many other traditional meadow and grove-meadow species.

WWF-Finland is trying to involve the people in its effort to restore and save the country's traditional landscape. Every summer the organization arranges camps where volunteers are invited to spend a week or more in nature care activities. The campers clear overgrown meadows and former cattle pastures, remove litter from nature trails, build fences and causeways, build shelters and other necessary facilities to restore old habitats for endangered species - plants and animals. The camps are organized throughout the country, from the southwestern archipelago to the northernmost parts of Lapland, and are open to anyone over 17 years of age.