Finland: Koli National Park
| Site fact file |
| Natura 2000 Ambassador for the Natura Network Initiative... | Representative of Finnish Forest Research Institute - Koli National Park | ||
| Lasse Loven |
| Country | Finland |
| Natura 2000 site location | Eastern Finland - North Karelia Region |
| Nearest urban settlement | Joensuu town |
| Natura 2000 site name | Koli National Park |
| Unofficial but locally accepted name/s for the site | Koli |
| Natura 2000 site number | FI0700010 |
| Size of site (hectares) | 2554 ha |
| Key Species types | Pteromys volans, Dendrocopus leucotus, Xylomya czekanowskii, Bulcarica cana, Aradus laeviskulus, Calypso bulbosa, cypripedium calceolus, Neckera pennata, Euphydryas maturna |
| Key Habitat types | SCI 9010, 8220, 9050, 91D0, 9070, 6510, 6520, |
| Key management issues | Swidden
agriculture in boreal forests SCI 9070, 6510, 6520, Renovation of former
economically used boreal forests 9010, 91D0, 9050, Renovation of old meadows
and pastures 9070, 6510, 6520
LIFE to KOLI- project Restoration of the NATURA 2000 forests and meadows in Koli National Park, Finland LIFE to KOLI -project (2003-2006) will design and realize a long-term management and restoration plan for former economical forests, meadows and peat soil forests. More specifically, a 50 year controlled slash-and-burn plan for 150 hectares heritage farms will be drawn up to ensure the continued presence of freshly burnt boreal forests and pastures which are so important to the NATURA -habitats and their wildlife. A restoration plan for 600 hectares former economical forests will ensure there is an abundant supply of decaying wood in the forests and a natural renovation of the former drained mires. Finally, a maintenance plan will be drawn up to manage the highland meadows and to conserve their rare flora and insects. By the end of the year 2006 it is expected that there will be 45 ha of freshly burnt boreal forest (subtype for boreal forests) and remarkable increase in decayed wood within 50 ha. Also, spruce will be removed from priority areas, 30 ha meadows restored and ditches blocked within 25 ha of drained bogs. Public awareness of these activities will be raised by educational material for schools and a video about slash-and-burn methods. Guidebooks about controlled slash-and-burn processes, restoration of former economically used forests and meadows will be produced for biotope management professionalists. Three thematic educational trails as model areas will be built in the Koli National Park. A lot of these aims have already been reached during the first 2 years of the project realisation in 2004-2005. Koli National Park - situated in the eastern part of Finland - is famous for its heritage landscapes, which have been influenced by the strong tradition of slash-and-burn agriculture for the last 250 years. Koli attracts a flow of 120 000 tourists and thousands of school children to the region. Koli National Park contains a diverse complex of habitats within its 2600ha NATURA 2000 areas. These include natural boreal forests, silicate rock vegetation, Fennoscandian herb-rich forests, high- and lowland meadows, eskers and bog woodlands. LIFE to Koli -restoration project is partially funded by EU/LIFE-Nature. The national funding is provided by the Ministry of the Environment and the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla). The co-funding partners in the project are the North-Karelian Regional Environment Centre and University of Joensuu. Project leader is park director Lasse Loven and project coordinator is Dr. Kalle Eerikäinen, both working as a researchers in Metla-Joensuu Research Unit. |
| Natura Network Agreements |
| Organising at least one Green Days event per year | 2006 - 1 in connection to the opening of a new educational nature trail about forest renovation methods |
| Promoting Natura 2000 at the local level | Yes. The autumn feast in the Koli Village. Exhibition ceremonies in the Heritage Centre Ukko in the park. Articles in the newspapers during the Life to Koli project actions period on the summer 2006. |
| Involving local stakeholders in the management planning process - creating a local area partnership | Yes. The Management Plan for Koli National Park is produced in co-operation with 17 stakeholder groups. The plans for forest renovation etc on the NATURA 2000 sites within the park have been prepared together with the same stakeholder group plus the local associations contributing and participating in the park management. |
| Involved in European networking / Twinned with other site for knowledge exchange | In the international Northern Periphery development project NEST (Northern Environment for Sustainable Tourism), partly funded by EU/INTERREGIIIB program, we have co-operation and exchange of knowledge about park management and the sustainable use of the NATURA sites for educational nature tourism with Skoleskog National Park in Sweden, Skaftafell National Park in Iceland. Bein Eighe National Nature Reserve in Scotland. |
| Branding Natura 2000 | We have an exhibition promoting the work we do in the EU/LIFE to KOLI project but also the NATURA 2000 brands. We also have an international "PARK PRODUCT" competition ongoing until the end of April 2006. This competition, which is organised by the EU/INTERREGIIIB project NEST, will introduce new natural heritage oriented items for marketable products in 4 Northern Periphery countries (Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Scotland). |
| Agreeing to become an NNi ambassador | Lasse Loven lasse.loven(a)metla.fi is an NNi Ambassasdor |
| Site photos |
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| Site contact | Lasse Loven lasse.loven(a)metla.fi |
| Web site | http://www.metla.fi/koli |