For almost two years now, Baltic Circle’s nature restoration location Oravasuo and its neighbouring swamps, Siltaneva & Rasinneva, have been under protection by the Landscape Rewilding programme. During that time, the 50-hectare wetland and its six different ecosystems have had some time of their own, time to heal, rest and rewild.
After last year’s Wild Trippers we got some news from the site. Our rewilding mentor, Tero Mustonen, who is one of the latest IPCC report writers and runs the Snowchange Cooperative, sent us notes and sightings on the wildlife in the area.
Before, Oravasuo was prepared for peat production through logging and draining. Since Snowchange acquired the site under its rewilding programme, a new era of peace has been introduced. The land left in peace has attracted several bird species to the area. Tero told us about multiple sightings of tree pipits, willow warblers, common chaffinch and European robins.
Alongside with the more common bird species, many others have been spotted as well: a parrot crossbill, a pair of golden plovers and some endangered species, like a willow ptarmigan that Baltic Circle’s directors met at the edge of the swamp in early autumn. In the South West part of Oravasuo, there’s also been sightings of a willow tit flying around on its territory. In the clear and crisp morning there was even a sighting of a young golden eagle taking wing from the Northern corner of the peatland.
A healthy swamp provides a breeding and a resting place to many species. It is also a carbon sink: Every year, the 18-hectare Oravasuuo can absorb up to 27 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Oravasuo is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change – there, the climate is warming at a several times higher speed than the global average. One aim of restoration work at the site is to increase nature’s resilience to such extreme phenomena. We aim to start working with our shovels at Oravasuo and the surrounding areas Siltaneva and Rasinneva together with Snowchange Cooperative. We hope to invite you to join us there in September, 2022.
The statements made in this text are from Oravasuo’s area report made by Snowchange Cooperative in 2021 and Tero & Kaisu Mustonen’s talks at Wild Trippers trip last year. Read more of our collaboration and donate to Snowchange’s work here.
