Pilot areas
The pilot areas of the project consist of the island Jungfruskär in the municipality of Houtskari in Finland and of the Kõpu and Tahkuna peninsulas in the municipality of Kärgessaare on the island Dagö in Estonia.
Jungfruskär
Jungfruskär is a group of islands, located in the middle of the sound Kihti, about 15 M from Galtby, Korppoo.
Map of Jungfruskär (pdf-file, 641 kB).
Jungfruskär is a part of the Finnish municipality of Houtskari. The islands are located near several busy channels and have provided shelter for many seafarers through the centuries. According to old tales, one of the islands was also home to a seafarers' tavern during the Swedish rule. Today, ancient monuments from several epochs constitute proof that Jungfruskär once was a "maritime centre of culture" (Westerdahl C, 1980).
Storlandet is a 120-hectare-large island, whereof 100 hectares belong to the Archipelago National Park, managed by Metsähallitus. About 50 hectares of the island consist of wooded meadows and pastures, restored and maintained by Metsähallitus since 1980. The island's soil is rich in calcium and the climate favours the flora. The versatility of the flora depends on pasturing, and today, cattle pasture from May to October in order to preserve the traditional landscape.
Here you can find Finland's most vegetation-rich meadows. On Jungfruskär, up to 40 vascular plants grow per square meter, which is more than anywhere else in Finland. Here you can also find rare plants like the dwarf milkwort (
Polygala amarella). The island is also an important resting and nesting area for many bird species.
The elder-flowered orchid (
Dactylorhiza sambucina) thrives in calcareous soil. Though the elder-flowered orchid can be found in several places on Houtskari, it is rarely found elsewhere. It has been chosen to represent the muncipality of Houtskari.
History
The island was inhabitated by several cottagers, living a strenous life. They had a small potato patch, the rest of the meadows being used as grazing for cattle. The farmers from the village Hyppeis, together with their cottagers from Jungfruskär, maintained the meadows and the grazing. Fishing was the main source of income.
This is Bjons, one of the old cottages that remain on Jungfruskär. Today it is mainly used by the personnel of Metsähallitus.
As time passed, life in the outer archipelago became easier. Marine engines, better fishing equipment and other time and effort saving devices were introduced. The population reached its largest number in the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, 43 persons lived on Jungfruskär. In 1933, a private elementary school was founded on Jungfruskär. The school was situated on the premises of the families Brunström and Hamberg.
During the World War II, the defence forces established a guard post on Jungfruskär. This was done in order to prevent a possible attack through the de-militarized zone of Ahvenenmaa. Three cannons were placed in strategic positions. On February 17, 1940 a dramatic event took place here: a Russian bomber was shot down. Two members of the crew were killed instantly. The third was shot down on the ice, trying to flee. The grave of the soldier can be found on the southern part of Jungfruskär.
The size of the barracks building is about 240 m
2.
It was built in the 60s. The outside of the building
needs to be renovated, and the kitchen should be
rebuilt. The large rooms with high walls feel spacious
and the building would be suitable for a number of
activities, for example bed & breakfast.
This is one of three cannons on the island.
Isn't it rather suitably camouflaged?
The watchtower in the background has been dissembled.
The Defence Forces transferred their premises and buildings to Metsähallitus in 1999. The buildings include barracks, a guard room, a beach sauna and several warehouses. After having been closed to the public for a long time, the area can now be freely visited.
Nature tourism on Jungfruskär is now being developed
Metsähallitus now wants to offer this diverse area and the buildings, earlier belonging to the Defence Forces, as a nature tourist attraction. The island is suitable for a number of activities, but we also want to be careful with the environment, and we therefore wish that visitors show consideration both to nature and to the people that live on the island.
A landing stage will be built, together with a nature trail, about 3 km long. A part of the nature trail will consist of gravel roads that are suitable for prams and, in places, wheel chairs. From the bird watching tower (to be built this fall), you can watch both common and rare birds.
In the archipelago, every season has its charm, but those, who want to fully experience the unique nature of Jungfruskär, should pay the island a visit in the spring or in the summer. Jungfruskär is a popular tourist attraction. Both yacht clubs and parishes have arranged sailing tours and outings to Jungfruskär. The first mentions are from the early 19th century. The inhabitants of Houtskari can be proud of their fascinating island.