Written by Laura HallFunctional support
Eat Shoot DriveIn Finland’s Haripuu Forest, a family has developed a new way to save the fragile forest. It’s about having your guests hug a tree.
We will be celebrating our 5th anniversary next summer. World Tree Hug Championship It will be held in Finnish Lapland. Located approximately 170 km north of the Arctic Circle, it is located in a private space. Haripoo forestThis event asks participants to compete in three events. The first is to hug as many trees as possible in one minute, with each hug lasting at least five seconds. Then, give each tree your most devoted hug for up to one minute, showing your presence, intention, love, and respect. And finally, in the freestyle her round, the contestant must give her the most creative hug to the tree in her interpretation for one minute. The judges will decide the winner.
While admittedly quirky, the story and purpose behind this event is significant. It aimed to connect people with nature and protect family forests from logging.
I am walking through the forest with Rita Raecario-Wonderlink, who together with her husband Stefan organized this event. It’s winter in Arctic Finland, and the sun is low in the sky in the early afternoon. When the sun goes down, the tree trunks glow with frost, making you want to take out your torch. As you drive through the snow, reflective silver bands, like those worn by cyclists on dark nights, wrap around tree trunks to mark the path ahead.
Raekalio-Wonderink said of the championship: “The first guys thought it was ridiculous, but not necessarily in a bad way. As Finns, we tend to do ridiculous things and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. There is a tendency not to accept it.” “Especially in the countryside and in Lapland, it’s a tradition to do crazy things because you want to. There’s room to express yourself in this way.”
HaripooAs we walked, we often stopped to look at the footprints in the snow, to feel the relative temperature of the tree trunks, and to notice the various things on the trees, such as the long dark brown vines of a rare type of lichen that only grows there. Observe growth. Very clean air. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, this area near the city of Kittila has: the cleanest air in the world. As we walk further into the forest, it becomes clear how Raecario-Wonderlink and her family are connected to the forest.
“My father started his career as a lumberjack here in the woods when he was 12 years old,” she said. “His family emigrated from the north from the part of Finland lost to Russia in World War II when he was three years old, bought this forest and built a sawmill. “He grew up in the forest. It was his.” “It was where his soul was. He knew this place inside and out, and it was a place that was really important to him.”
Forestry in this region is not an easy task. A typical forestry cycle would mean harvesting trees that are 40 to 150 years old, but in this part of northern Finland the growing season lasts only eight weeks, so it takes much longer and the trees grow taller. Growing trees requires more breeding. -Enough trees. Moose roaming the woods eagerly nibble on tender shoots in spring, but in the middle of winter the sun doesn’t even rise for about six weeks. Trees that have grown to full size will ultimately survive.
Eat Shoot Drive“A few years ago, the forest reached the end of this cycle,” she said. “It was time to cut it down and start again. My father was the only one who didn’t want that. It was a feeling in his heart. “I couldn’t do that because it had a lot of other values,” he said. “
way to participate
You can only participate if you win another Tree Hug Championship. It is important to protect the forest from too many visitors. However, the forest is open for Mori Café and overnight stays at other times of the year.
The family began to consider how else they could continue the family business. If you don’t take the wood from the forest, what else is it worth? Their thoughts turned to exotic ideas they had seen elsewhere. I mean, what happens if you ask people to adopt a tree or hug it?
After 15 minutes of walking through the snow, the warm light of a campfire shining through the trees, another of their ideas was announced. campfire barista, Campfire Cafe. Along with Raecario-Wonderink’s husband, Stefan, we sat around a bonfire and roasted homemade cloudberry and blueberry marshmallows over the flames, brewed in a pot over the fire and flavored with birch sap syrup. I had a chai latte. This is one of the best lattes I’ve ever tasted.
A few steps from the fireplace was a fleece-lined hammock between two trees, and as the snow began to fall, quietly muffling the sounds around me, I climbed into the hammock and relaxed. Hammocks are another element of the forest conservation plan and are available to guests. Sleepover at the North Pole There is also the option of spending the night in a hammock in the forest.of World Tree Hug Championship That was the next step.
Maya SchonbrunnAfter COVID-19 and many restrictions and lockdowns around the world, the family felt that people had a strong craving for nature and wanted to help them reconnect. . Their tree-hugging contest was so successful that its rules have been adopted by other independent tree-hugging contests around the world. Scotland – and the winners of these other contests move on to compete in Haripoo Forest.
Behind the event’s whimsy, forest cafes, adoptable trees, and cozy hammocks, there’s one key driving force. It’s about finding new ways to interact with nature and strengthen people’s bonds with nature. The belief that you have to experience something in order to love it, and you have to love it in order to protect it.
It’s also a great way to see the true face of Finnish people. In a recent survey, more than 80% of Finns say that forests are important to them and a place where they feel at home. That’s not surprising, considering that Finland is one of the most forested countries in the world, with more than 70% of the country’s land covered by forests. “Rights for All” Lawanyone can hike, camp, and collect berries and mushrooms in the forest, regardless of who owns it.
“We offer people who go into the forest a safe way to immerse themselves in this harsh environment,” said Raecario Wunderlink. “It’s a safe way to discover the gentle face of nature in the Arctic. It’s such a wonderful environment. At the same time, it takes away the constant chatter in people’s heads.”
Olli AutonenEven with this support, forests continue to need protection. Although saved from sawmills, climate change is having an impact, with fluctuating temperatures and unpredictable weather events altering long-standing patterns.
“These days, it’s not uncommon to have a -30 degree week followed by a two-degree week, or an unexpected heavy snowfall that damages tree branches,” Raecario-Wunderink said. said. “As we get warmer in the summer and we’re further north than we’re used to, we can expect to see different types of insects, including those that can destroy trees.”
What makes their Tree Hug Project so effective is that it does more than just protect forests. Just like a hug, the experience is equally shared with the visitor.
“In a way, we’re doing this for selfish reasons,” Raecario-Wonderink said. “I like to take people to the forest and see the changes that happen to them. In nature people drop their masks. They don’t have to be anything. The trees don’t judge them . They just accept them as they are.” “For me, the greatest joy is seeing people change through it. I don’t think there’s enough of this feeling in the world.”
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