Updated 29th August 2022: The Finnish Nature Day was very popular this year, too. The Outdoor Association of Finland challenged people to sleep a night outdoors and hundreds of people participated in the numerous events of the day, i.g. in the Hiidenportti National Park and Seitseminen National Park. Next year, the Finnish Nature Day will be celebrated on Saturday, 26th August.
Concert at a gorge, exhibitions, sleeping outside – the last Saturday of August is the Finnish Nature Day when numerous interesting events are organised in Finnish national parks and nature reserves, focusing on the wonderful nature of our country. The events are mainly free of charge.
This year, we have many reasons to celebrate: many of our national parks are celebrating their 40th anniversaries, and the Finnish Nature Day is being celebrated now for the tenth time. Metsähallitus’ Parks & Wildlife Finland organises different nature-related events all over Finland. You can find a list of Parks & Wildlife Finland’s events in the event calendar at https://events.nationalparks.fi/en/en.
Visitor centres teach about nature as they celebrate
Good places for a memorable nature experience are different visitor centres around Finland. Visitor Centre Naava in Pyhä-Luosto celebrates its 10th anniversary on Finnish Nature Day and offers its visitors many things to do and introductions to local nature.
At Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, you can explore the Välähdys! nature photo festival with nature photography related things to see and do both indoors and outdoors. Fun for the whole family! The event also gives visitors the chance to learn about outdoor activities in Southern Finland and the coast.
Visitor Centre Kellokas, Visitor Centre Oulanka and the renovated Visitor Centre Ukko in Koli also offer nature-themed events, including movie nights. Visitor Centre Ukko hosts an open day on the Finnish Nature Day.
40th anniversary celebrations and illuminations
In 1982, a total of 11 new national parks were established in Finland. On Finnish Nature Day, Seitseminen and Hiidenportti national parks celebrate their 40th anniversary.
In Seitseminen national park, the family-friendly celebration takes place at Kovero Heritage Farm, and in Hiidenportti, visitors can enjoy an a cappella concert by Club for Five. The band performs first at the starting point to Palolampi and if the weather is good, afterwards at Hiidenportti gorge.
In Hämeenlinna, the Aulanko observation tower is illuminated to celebrate Finnish Nature Day. The opening festivities of the newly renovated Aulanko observation tower are held before that, on Thursday 25 August.
Nature reserves are good places to celebrate Finnish Nature Day
Nature reserves such as national parks are great places to celebrate the Finnish nature. They offer good opportunities for observing nature and appreciating it alone or together with others.
A memorable way to celebrate Finnish Nature Day is to participate in the Spend a night sleeping outdoors challenge. Participate at Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park as they organise a Spend a night sleeping outdoors event, or you can do it by yourself anywhere in nature.
Finnish Nature Day in a nutshell
- Finnish Nature Day is always celebrated on the last Saturday in August. It has been celebrated since 2013.
- Finnish Nature Day is the newest day of celebration. In 2020, it was entered in the University Almanac.
- The Ministry of the Interior recommends flying the flag for Finnish nature. Flying the flag was recommended for the sixth year in a row in 2022. Finnish Nature Day will be an established flag-flying day from 2023.
- You can celebrate the Finnish flag in many ways: fly the flag in your yard, decorate your picnic lunch or food with small Finnish flags, or dress up in blue and white.
- The pastry to celebrate Finnish Nature Day is bilberry pie.
- The steering group coordinating Finnish Nature Day consist of Metsähallitus’ Parks & Wildlife Finland, Sitra, Outdoor Association of Finland, the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Finnish Association of Nature and Environment Schools, Guides and Scouts of Finland, Finnish Heart Association, Finnish Environment Institute and Yle Luonto.
More information
Heli Rekiranta, Finnish Nature Day coordinator, Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland, +358 407 544 664, heli.rekiranta@metsa.fi
- Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland events (events.nationalparks.fi/en/en)
- Finnish Nature Day website (in Finnish and Swedish): https://suomenluonnonpaiva.fi/suomenluonnonpaiva.fi
Follow Finnish Nature Day on social media
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