The backbone of the project consists of reinforcements in Lauhanvuori and Seitseminen National Parks and a reintroduction in Tiilikkajärvi National Park. In addition, the project will continue and further develop well-established collaboration with reindeer husbandry stakeholders to safeguard the genome of the WFR, improve our understanding of its habitats, and lay the groundwork for its possible future return to North Karelia by restoring extensive areas of suitable habitat. Alongside proven conservation tools, the project will also introduce new solutions, including the development of assisted reproductive technologies for the WFR and genbanking.

The full title of the LIFEline4Fennicus project is “One Plan approach to increasing resilience and long-term viability of the endemic wild forest reindeer in a changing environment”. A One Plan approach refers to an integrated conservation framework that brings together in situ work in the wild and ex situ work in zoos into a single, coordinated whole. Long-term viability, in turn, highlights that the project’s goal is to improve the population’s resilience not only during the project period but, above all, over the longer term.

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.

Contact information

Sakari Mykrä-Pohja (PhD), Project Manager
Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland
Tel. +358 40 631 8527
Email: sakari.mykra-pohja(at)metsa.fi

Project partners

Natural Resources Institute Finland

Senior Researcher Antti Paasivaara (monitoring and research of WFR)
antti.paasivaara(at)luke.fi, +358295328753

Research Professor Juha Kantanen (genomics)
juha.kantanen(at)luke.fi, +358295326210

Senior Scientist Heli Lindeberg (assisted reproductive technology)
heli.lindeberg(at)luke.fi, +358295326712

Principal Scientist Jaana Peippo (assisted reproductive technology)
jaana.peippo(at)luke.fi, +358295326427

Korkeasaari Zoo

Animal Care and Conservation Director Nina Trontti
nina.trontti(at)korkeasaari.fi, +358 50 511 8118

Curator Hanna-Maija Lahtinen
hannamaija.lahtinen(at)korkeasaari.fi, +358 40 761 3250

Ranua Wildlife Park

Zoological director, Veterinarian Heini Niinimäki
heini.niinimaki(at)ranuaresort.com, +358 40 644 9031

Snowchange Cooperative

Chair of the Cooperative Tero Mustonen
tero(at)lumi.fi

The project is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.