Forest - The green gold of Finland

Forest The Green Gold of Finland Sanna K arppinen & Keijo Penttinen

The Forest – The Green Gold of Finland Editor Sanna Karppinen Text Sanna Karppinen Photographs Keijo Penttinen Graphic design Laboratorio Uleåborg English translation Aki Myyrä / Molehill Communications Printing Saarijärven Offset Oy, Saarijärvi 2013 Copyright © Sanna Karppinen Keijo Penttinen Kirjakaari, Jyväskylä ISBN 978-952-5969-31-3

This book has been made with the support of the Metsämiesten Säätiö (the Forester Foundation).

CONTENTS Introduction – Finnish Forests Forestry and Sivilculture – Finns Are Forest Owners The Future of the Forest Industries – The Bioeconomy Is the Answer Architecture and Design – The Forest of Imagination Well-being from the Forest – A Treasury of Health and Happiness

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Introduction

Introduction — Finnish Forests — Finland is one of the world’s most forest-covered countries.

We have over 20 million hectares of woods, second most in all of Europe. Forests cover almost 80% of Finland, a land area nearly as large as Great Britain.

The vitality of the Finnish forests and the constantly increasing forest reserves are mainly due to multidisciplinary expertise, forestry innovations, and the Finnish forest industrie’s sense of responsibility as they use wood in a diverse way and takes good care of the forests.

If the forests were evenly distributed among the Finns, everyone would have over 4 hectares. This amount is four times the European average. Up to 2000 full-grown conifers can grow on 4 hectares of Finnish forest.

Finnish forestry is sustainable and responsible. Finns have a deep emotional bond with the forest. Most of our woods are privately owned, and the green gold is passed on from generation to generation. Finnish forests are in good hands, which is why there is plenty of it to share with others as well.

The annual forest growth in Finland is over 100 million cubic metres, even though the growing season is only 2-3 months. One million cubic metres of wood grows during a single summer day. Finland’s forest reserves are constantly increasing; tree growth exeeds the consumption of wood.

A forest is much more than mere property. It is a source of well-being and refreshment: a cornycopia of natural produce and herbal medicine. In the forest, the mind and body relax.

The air is clean to breathe – full of scents.

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There is so much forest in Finland that even the largest cities are embraced by a green sea of treetops when viewed from far off.

CERTIFIED FORESTS are cared for in an ecologically, financially, and socially sustainable way. Forest certification programmes are administered by independent third parties, and certificates are proof that a wood product’s material originates from a sustainably managed forest.

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is an international forest certification system with over 300,000 Finnish forest owners as members. Over 90% of Finland’s forests are PEFC-certified. Finnish forests are also certified within the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system.

FINNS HAVE ALWAYS MADE THEIR LIVING FROM THE FOREST. Nowadays, slash-and-burn farming, tar distillation, and riverdriving of logs are very rare. Timber and wood products are transported by truck, ship, and train.

Slash-and-burn means burning trees where they stand, releasing nutrients for cultivated crops. In Finland, smoke from slash-and-burn sites rose last in the 1950s. At that time, the authorities became aware of the shrinking forest area, and the saw mill industry began to develop. People started to respect forests in a whole new way.

Tar distillation was an important source of livelihood in Finland up to the end of the 1800s.

When iron replaced wood as the main building material of ships, tar distillation diminished.

Nowadays, the dark and rich-scented tar oil is used, for example, as a protective agent for wood, a natural remedy and seasoning.

“If sauna, booze, and tar don’t help, your illness will be the death of you.”

Finnish proverb

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The dominant species of Finnish forests are conifers: pine and spruce. About half of the trees in the fragrant conifer forests are pines; one third is spruce.

Birch is our dominant broad-leaved tree. It amounts to one fifth of Finland’s growing stock.

The Silver Birch is Finland’s National tree.

FINLAND IS AN EXPANSIVE COUNTRY where you can find a wide variety of wooded terrain, such as sandy ridges, spruce stands, almost treeless fells, and archipelago forests. In the summer, the Turku Archipelago in southwestern Finland is full of sailboats and people on holiday. Hailuoto is a rugged, rocky island in the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia which belongs to the city of Oulu. It is a real bird sanctuary with hundreds of different species.

The provincial flower of Ă…land, the largest island in the Baltic Sea, is the common cowslip.

THE ISLAND SCENERY OF OUR LAKES is like patchwork quilts of green forests, rocky shores, and blue waters.

SAND AND GR AVEL RIDGES are typical Finnish land formations.

The ridges were created 9000 years ago during the Ice Age, when the glaciers melted and formed subglacial rivers that carried sand and gravel.

Ridges cut through Finland’s forests and waters, forming long, clean beaches of sand. Similar beaches can also be found in Lapland by the rivers flowing down from the fells.

Water that has been filtered through the many land layers of a ridge is clean, drinkable groundwater.

DEVIL’S FIELDS (Pirunpelto) are ancient shorelines. The water level retreated so long ago that you can find these devil’s fields deep in the forests of Finland.

FINLAND IS FAMOUS FOR ITS WETLANDS, which cover one third of the country’s area. People travel far to admire treeless marshlands and swamps. Most of our wetlands are swamps that grow pines and dwarf birches.

THE FELLS OF LAPLAND offer unforgettable nature experiences.

IN LAPLAND, people live in the borderland between spruce forests and rugged fells.

Demo kuvasta tekstin joukossa Vene rannassa 1986, akvarelli, lyijykyn채 paperille, 56,5 x 75,5 cm Boat on Shore 1986, watercolour, pencil on paper, 56,5 x 75,5 cm

A stand of mountain birch.

Dwarf birch is the last tree species to hold out high on the fells.

NURTURING THE BIODIVERSITY OF FORESTS is an essential part of Finnish forestry. Of Finland’s forest area, around 5% is in the pristine state, with unique flora and fauna forming several layers of vegetation and benefiting from decomposing woody debris. Snags, dead-standing pine or spruce trees, offer homes for animals that nest in tree holes, from woodpeckers to rodents.

Forestry

Forestry and Sivilculture — Finns Are Forest Owners — Finnish forestry is family-based. There are around 350,000 forest owners in Finland, around 25% of all households. If all family members are included, the number rises to almost one million. Individual woodlots in private ownership are relatively small, so the owners really know their forests.

Finnish forestry is highly mechanized. Tending forests goes hand in hand with technology. Modern solutions help to ensure the well-being and multiple use of the forests.

Planting seedlings, thinning stands, timber harvesting, and follow-up care of logged sites all aim for the same goals: rapid regeneration and biodiverse forest.

The forest links families and generations. The desire to nurture our most treasured asset is in our bloodlines. Around 65% of Finnish forests belong to private persons, consortia, and estates of the deceased. The state, municipalities, and forest companies own around 35% of the forests, and the state is by far the largest individual owner.

Forestry training is easily available all over Finland, and the industry is highly esteemed. Multidisciplinary professionals from foresters and loggers to forest machine operators and the public officials take care of our forests.

Our forest specialists are employed internationally as well.

They have a good command of the tree’s whole life cycle, from forest management to harvesting, shipment, industrial processing, and new innovations.

In Finland, an extensive network of forestry professionals is available to carry out silvicultural tasks on behalf of the owners according to need. Examples of these forestry service providers include local forest management associations, forestry service companies, and the Finnish Forest Centre.

Forestry professionals and forest owners work together for the good of our forests.

Finnish forestry schools have close co-operation with companies – for example, the majority of student theses are commissioned. The industry benefits from up-to-date research data and a skilled workforce. Our forest expertise is interdisciplinary and effective.

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IN FINLAND, THERE ARE MANY FOREST RESEARCH and development programmes as well as testing and experimental environments. Finnish forest R&D investments are hundreds of millions of euros each year. In addition to companies, the state also invests heavily in research. The forest cluster is internationally orientated on all levels.

The Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster Oy (FIBIC) is a unique centre of excellence of the Finnish bioeconomy, forest industries, engineering, and chemical industries. It combines the top expertise of companies, research organisations, and universities, offering exceptional opportunities for applying new technologies into practice, interdisciplinary networking, and bringing diverse forest products to the market.

NATIONAL FOREST INVENTORIES (NFI) were launched in Finland over 80 years ago. The first inventories were made already in the 1920s, and they are renewed every 5-10 years. The inventories gather information about, for example, the state’s forest resources, the health of the trees, ownership data, and biodiversity. Finnish forest inventory knowhow has been exported to countries like Germany, Sweden, and China.

A variety of sources are used in the forest inventories, such as satellite images and digital elevation models. Finland is a world leader in remote sensing technology, and with, for example, airborne laser scanning, our specialists can get even more accurate 3D data than with field surveys. In Finland, the Finnish Forest Centre is in charge of maintaining and distributing forest resource data.

THE FOREST CLUSTER IS ONE OF FINLAND’S LARGEST USERS OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY. Finnish forestry organisations use a lot of wireless technology in logistics, transportation, and GPS applications. Marking out important habitats, saw mill monitoring,, and route optimization for logging trucks are also done electronically.

FINNISH FORESTRY TR AINING is on a high level, and students acquire qualifications to work in many kinds of tasks in forestry. Forestry specialists graduate from several vocational schools, universities of applied sciences, and academic universities around Finland.

Students graduate from several basic training programmes in forestry schools, for example, in the fields of forest-based energy production or forestry. Graduates may work, for example, as forest machine operators, forest entrepreneurs or bioenergy experts. Apprenticeship training and competence-based qualifications are also common in forestry.

Finnish forest training and research are never mere theory – even university students spend a lot of time in the woods during the different stages of their studies. Natural resource specialists and forestry engineers graduate from universities of applied sciences with a BSc degree; forest officers, ecologists, and biologists graduate from academic universities with MSc degrees.

FOREST MACHINE OPER ATORS AND FOREST WORKERS graduate from many schools all over Finland. Forest workers do their job in the woods all year round, apart from the hottest days in July and the snowiest months of the winter.

THE OBLIGATION TO REGENER ATE FORESTS AFTER FELLING, is what makes Finnish wood production sustainable. Forest owners must make sure that vital seedling stands are growing in clear-cutting areas within a reasonable time of felling.

OWNING A FOREST is an investment, but above all it is an emotional matter. Privately owned woodlots are rather small in Finland. When forest management and ownership changes are well planned, forests give families financial security and joy long into the future. Forest ownership is a long-term venture.

In Finland, woodlots are most often passed down from parents to their children and grandchildren. A forest property is thus a part of the cycle of generations and an important emotional resource. The majority of Finnish forest owners are families and estates of the deceased, and woodlots are seldom purchased.

An increasingly typical forest owner is an urban woman. Finnish forest owners are personally responsible for their own lands, but they can buy forestry services from professional service providers. A forest management plan is the owner’s foremost guideline that serves for several years. The plan includes information about the growing stock, silvicultural tasks, harvesting schedules, and valuable habitats.

FINNISH FOREST RESEARCH focuses on five broad areas: the bioeconomy, wood products, forest health effects, tree breeding, and silviculture.

The vitality of Finnish forests springs from silviculture and tree growing research. The Viikki Tropical Resources Institute (VITRI) is a research department of the University of Helsinki.

Since 1980, VITRI has done research on, for example, preserving the biodiversity of tropical forests, their communal management, restoration of natural forests, and agro-forestry.

Forest resource inventories are examples of internationally esteemed Finnish know-how. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the United Nations co-operates with the Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA), for example, in an inventory of the tropical forest reserves in Africa.

FOREST BIODIVERSITY is worth taking good care of. There are several biodiversity preservation programmes in which Finnish forest owners can enter part or all of their woodlots . If a piece of forest land is accepted, the state will compensate for preservation-related loss of income. The purpose of these programmes is to give forest owners the opportunity to care for and preserve their highly valuable forest areas. This form of conservation can be based on, for example, emotional values, the beauty or natural state of the forest, or tradition.

FINNISH FORESTRY KNOWHOW covers the entire life cycle of trees from seeds to fully grown,-sawtimber-yielding trees. Everything starts from seeds from which healthy seedlings are grown.

The majority of tree seedlings grown in Finland are ballrooted (containerized) seedlings, which are planted out on regeneration sites in the spring, early summer, and fall.

Planting out a seedling stand is preceded by site preparation. Tree seedlings grow best when they are planted in moist and freshly prepared soil.

MANAGED FORESTS grow faster than forests in their natural state. If a young stand established by means of forest regeneration is left untended, the site will eventually be taken over by less valuable broad-leaved trees like downy birch and rowan.

Managed forest use and systematic cultivation guarantee rapid regeneration: forests attain their full height tens of years earlier than unmanaged forests.

FINNISH FORESTRY MACHINES can be operated with little impact on the retention stand. Studies have shown that as few as 3% of the retained trees are damaged in the first commercial thinning. Well timed thinning spurs the retained trees to grow quickly to sawtimber size. Unmanaged stands may take as much as 40 years longer.

Energy wood, or wood fuel, is a by-product of young stand management and thinning. Energy wood thinning is possible already when a stand has reached a height of10-metres. Finnish energy wood harvesting machinery is among the best in the world.

Finnish forestry machinery manufacturers continuously create innovations with which wood can be harvested more ecologically and sustainably.

The sounds and lights of a forest harvester in the twilight are symbols of Finnish power, resilience, and know-how at their best.

MANY FINNISH FOREST OWNERS take care of their own forests. Forestry trailers, loaders, and firewood processors make their job a little easier.

DITCHING PEATLAND SITES has once been part of skilled Finnish silviculture. It improves tree growth and increases wood production.

Logging operations in wet terrain are done in the winter.

The snow protects the ground and the roots of the trees.

When a tree is cut, it is transported to a sawmill or paper mill within two weeks. Three weeks after felling, the timber has already been kiln-dried and it is ready for further processing.

Some of the felled timber is transported from the cutting area to a forest road by the forest owners themselves, with their own tractors. Timber trucks pick up the logs and take them to sawmills and factories, and houses for heating their fire places.

Finnish timber is mostly transported on wheels along an internationally unique network of forest truck roads. The extensive and well-kept network ensures that heavy log trucks can reach timber deep in the forest.

FINNISH FORESTS ARE FERTILIZED according to the need by tractor or aerial spraying. Remedial fertilization is used to fix growth failures noticed, for example, when studying needle samples. Forest growth is promoted with growth fertilization.

In the end, the growth of even the best pines slows down, and it is time for regeneration cutting. In Finland, pine forests have the longest rotation: over 100 years. Spruce forests are grown for 70-100 years, and birch forests for 40-50. New forests grow faster than wood is harvested.

CLEAR-CUT SITES always have retention trees and often seed trees left on them. Tall tree stumps, artificial snags, and decomposing wood left lying or standing all have an important role to play.

They offer homes for insects, animals and birds that nest in holes, such as woodpeckers.

Rotting trees are essential to biodiversity.

Crown mass, stumps, and other types of logging waste are sources of energy wood.

When the wood fuel has been gathered, soil cultivation and planting new seedlings is easier. Removing stumps also prevents annosum root rot, which is very harmful for trees.

Not all of the waste wood is used as fuel. Some crown mass and stumps are left behind to keep the soil nutrient-rich.

PRESERVING WATERWAYS is a part of Finnish forestry. Logging operations leave border strips from which stumps are not removed, and the soil is not bared around waterways.

CONTROLLED BURNING is an ancient, still used form of silviculture. It is most common in large-scale forestry, in sufficiently large forest areas. Controlled burning is done in May-June, when nature is at its driest and not very green. It is started by lighting the downwind edges of the area. The fire progresses slowly and under control, until in the final stages, the opposite edge is also lit. Then the fire spreads rapidly with the wind. At last, the fires meet in the middle, forming an immense blaze.

The roar of the fire is deafening.

The Iso-Häntiäinen island in Konnevesi, Central Finland, was burned in this way. Summer storms had damaged the trees badly, turning the whole island into one impassable thicket. Controlled burning helps the island nature get a new start.

The ashes from controlled burning have a significant role in the forest’s natural cycle and regeneration, along with storm damage.

The Future of the Forest Industry

The Future of the Forest Industries — The Bioeconomy Is the Answer — Finnish forest industries are based on sustainable wood use.

Wood is our most significant natural resource, and Finnish timber, pulp, paper and board products are renowned all over the world. The forest industries account for around one third of Finland’s exports.

The forest industries are for Finland’s economy what roots are to a vital tree. In Finland, the forest industries employ around 50,000 people, and other forest-related fields around 170,000. This means that around one tenth of the Finnish workforce makes a living off the forest.

Forestry industries are constantly developing. Future examples of Finnish know-how will be versatile manufactured wood products such as intelligent and renewable packaging materials, wood architecture innovations and comprehensive bioeconomy solutions.

The forest industries are among the largest domestic industries investing in Finland. There are both international forest corporations and small and mediumsized forest companies in our country.

Finnish forests are precious currency in both the domestic and global markets.

The possibilities of wood as a renewable, recyclable and ecological raw material are boundless. A woodbased bioeconomy and biofuels processed from wood offer sustainable solutions for human well-being and global energy challenges.

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THE FOREST INDUSTRIES are the engine of Finland’s prosperity, which pull along all the other fields of industry. Finland has modern factories, multidisciplinary know-how and high quality wood.

FINLAND IS ONE OF EUROPE’S LARGEST SA AWN GOODS PRODUCERS, with an output of over 10 million cubic metres every year. The oldest still functioning sawmills in Finland are from the 1800s.

The present-day products and innovations of the sawmill industry include heat-treated timber, impregnated wood products and glue board, interior and exterior cladding panels, components and glue beams for doors and windows.

The by-products of Finland’s ecological sawmill industry are thoroughly utilized: bark is burned, wood chips are used to make pulp, and sawdust is used to make, for example, pellet fuel.

PAPER IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EXPORT of the Finnish forest industries. Almost all the paper and cardboard produced in Finland is exported. Other products of the paper industry are pulp and modern packaging materials.

LOGS ARE QUICKLY TR ANSPORTED from forests to paper mills for further processing. Pulp is made by chemically separating cellulose fibres from wood. It is the basic material for paper, paperboard and cardboard.

Finland is one of the world’s top developers of polymers and other bioplastics.

Wood is recycled a lot in Finland. Recycled paper is an ecological alternative, and the construction industry also uses plenty of recycled wood. Wood fibres last 5-6 cycles.

FINLAND IS A FORERUNNER IN THE BIOECONOMY. We use, produce and process our renewable natural resource, wood, into both energy and eco-friendly products.

The most significant future sector of the forest industry is wood-based, renewable energy, which is the foundation of the bioeconomy. Secondgeneration synthetic biodiesel, bioethanol, biofuel oil and bioenergy are products of biorefineries.

The low-carbon bioeconomy develops bioenergy and biofuels. They can be used to replace fossil fuels or other fuels that have adverse effects on nature, such as oil, coal and electricity. The objective of the Finnish mechanical wood industry is that by 2020, 20% of the field’s revenue will come from bioenergy or related business.

BRIQUETTES AND PELLET FUEL are produced from the joinery industry’s by-products such as sawdust and shavings. Sawdust is also utilized by directly burning.

A lot of renewable fuels are used in the mills of the Finnish forest industries.

PEAT is a slowly renewing biomass fuel that is used in power plants. When peat extraction operations are finished, peat bogs are either restored or reforested.

MODERN CHP POWER PLANTS run mainly on wood fuel or logging waste. Power plants are the most important users of forest converted chips. The emissions of wood-burning heating and power plants are small, thanks to effective combustion technology: quick burning in high temperatures keeps the amount of harmful combustion gases low.

WOOD FIBRE-BASED INNOVATIONS include new types of liquid packages, household and hygiene products, wooden packages, labels, and wrappers.

The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Aalto University have developed nanofibrillated cellulose films (NFC), which are a wood-based versatile substitute for plastic. With bioand nanotechnology, wood fibres are processed into various soft tissue and films that, for example, protect food from spoiling.

Nanocellulose films are also used to manufacture printed electronics and flexible displays, circuits and solar panels. A film containing information can be attached to many kinds of surfaces such as metal or wood. The film is waterproof and has other barrier properties as well, and it can also be transparent.

FOREST INNOVATIONS create a future relying on the forest. The Finnish bioeconomy can be seen in, for example, construction, interior design, and packaging materials.

The Finnish forest industries are a part of sustainable development. Wood and wood fibre products can be recycled and used again. In the bioeconomy, wood is combined without prejudice with other materials. Non-renewable products are replaced with alternatives made of wood. Wood products are light, durable, and affordable. They don’t strain the environment in any stage of their life cycle.

New applications for the food and pharmaceutical industries are being developed with nanotechnology. Intelligent wood and paper products react to the needs of their users. New, intelligent medicine packages are printed with electrically conductive ink, which enables it to send medicine intake data to the patient information system.

Microfibrillated cellulose is a light and durable material for the packaging industry. It is also suitable for the construction, furniture, automobile, electronics, food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. Plastic and aluminium are among the materials that microfibrils can replace.

SCR ATCH THE WOOD CHIP PILE AND CATCH THE SCENT OF FINNISH WOOD!

WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY, WOOD CHIPS are gasified and processed into biogas. It can replace natural gas entirely. Wood chips are an ecological, affordable and multi-use source of energy. Wood chips provide energy and heat for factories, farms, gardens and ordinary homes, for example, through the district heating network.

Many companies have been involved in developing Finnish bio-oil, which can be made of all the wood species that grow in Finland. Bio-oil can be used in power and heat production and, when refined, in vehicles and in the chemical industry.

NEW WOOD-BASED TR ANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS are constantly developed in Finland. In Europe alone, 400 million loading pallets are made every year. A wooden loading pallet can be used many times, fixed, and recycled. In Finland, garden furniture and other commodities are made of pallets that are no longer in use.

Finnish transportation packages are ecological and suitable for consumer goods, electronics, and food. Loading pallet manufacturers are obligated to take back and recycle their customers’ wood packaging materials.

Finnish transportation packages used in exports always have the international ISPM-15 stamp (IPPC), and they can also be taken into countries with restrictions on treated wood products. Durable cardboard pallets are also made in Finland. They can be recycled, and they can replace wood, plastic and Styrofoam pallets.

WOOD IS GAINING GROUND all over the world as the main building material, not only of houses but large buildings as well, such as apartment buildings and offices.

Finns pay a lot of attention to the energy efficiency of buildings and the carbon footprint of construction and building materials.

The Finnish forest industries develops modern and ecological wood construction. Well-being increases when people live surrounded by forests and wooden construction materials. Increasing the share of wood in construction will also help achieve the energy and climate objectives faster.

AS FORESTS GROW, THEY ABSORB CARBON DIOXIDE from the air. Thus all wooden products, such as houses or furniture, contain CO². A kilogram of dry wood contains 1.5 kilos of CO². Almost 10 billion metric tons of carbon is stored in Europe’s forests; 60 million tons in wood products. Carbon dioxide is also absorbed in paper and cardboard products.

Construction and buildings produce one third of the world’s CO² emissions. Wood is the solution. While other building materials produce CO², wood absorbs it. One wooden house absorbs the amount of CO² produced by driving a car for ten years. A wooden house with its furniture can store up to 30 tons of carbon.

Wood is the world’s most energy-efficient material. When wood used as a building material is finally disposed of by burning, it does not release any more CO² into the environment than it has absorbed during its lifetime. In Finland, 40% of new buildings and 50% of external cladding is made of wood. In Europe, only 4-9% of the building materials used is wood. If Europe’s residential construction would prioritize wood, the environmental load would be halved (Rakennustieto ry and Metsäteollisuus ry).

WOOD CONSTRUCTION is a field in which Finland has long traditions and profound expertise. The wood product, furniture, and joinery industries employ 40,000 Finns, and construction over 170,000. In Finland, we know how to build beautiful, durable and ecological buildings.

Wood is a strong material that is easy to work.

That is why wood processing is ecological. Finnish plywood boards are used in construction and vehicles, for example, for train floors. It is light and durable. Traditional particle board and laminated, reinforced particle board are multi-purpose products.

Wood has 15 times better thermal insulation properties than concrete. Wood literally saves energy. Comfortable wooden houses are breathable and they equalize humidity. Wood makes for a healthy living environment, and because of its antibacterial properties, it is ideal for humid spaces like saunas and shower rooms.

Civil engineers and architects are very familiar with the characteristics and potential of Finnish wood.

In the future, architects will co-operate increasingly with experts and customers from different fields of science.

Finland’s expertise in long wooden engineering structures is globally of top quality.

Architecture, Art and Design

Architecture and Design — The Forest of Imagination — Finns are open-minded users and developers of wood and wood products. Forests have always inspired Finnish handicrafts professionals, artists and architects. Forestrelated traditions and values are deep in the Finnish heart and soul. The forest is a place of both work and leisure.

Finnish wood construction is simultaneously creative, practical, and ecological. Our internationally most renowned architect Alvar Aalto was well acquainted with wood as a material. He used traditional construction methods such as woodwork joints in unprejudiced ways and also made use of wood as an interior design element.

Finnish design and consumer goods speak of a love of the forest. Raw material is often acquired from certified forests or recycled wood. Energy efficiency is a key issue in manufacturing Finnish wood products, and when they have lived through their cycle of use, they are recycled.

The forest lives on in Finnish building traditions and interior decoration. Wood creates a comfortable atmosphere and blends beautifully into the surroundings both in the city and the countryside. Wood is always a delight to the eye.

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THE FOREST AND WOOD AS A MATERIAL are an important part of Finnish architecture. A prominent example is the Kamppi Chapel in the city centre of Helsinki.

THE KUOKK ALA CHURCH in Jyväskylä is a unique work of art both inside and out. It is almost entirely made of wood, and its altarpiece depicts the mystery of nature. The atmosphere is meant to capture people in quiet contemplation.

Pasi Karjula’s wooden work of art, Jesus says: I am the bread of life, is the altarpiece of the Kuokkala church.

WOODEN CITY DISTRICTS are a part of the lively Finnish city culture and popular tourist attractions. In the future, Finland’s largest versatile wooden city district, Wood City, will be built in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki. The modern district planned for both living and working will have 28,000 floor square metres of residential buildings, hotels, and business and office buildings. Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) boards, beam and column solutions, and various wooden cladding and lining products will be used in the buildings.

THE METLA HOUSE was built in 2004 on the campus of the University of Joensuu. It is a prime example of Finnish wood construction expertise, Finland’s first large, wooden office building.

The main material of the Metla House was whitewood from Finnish spruce. In addition, almost all the tree species that grow in Finland have been used in the structures and interior decoration.

Metla is a perfect work environment for the forest researchers of the university. The building was designed by Architect Antti-Matti Siikala of SARC Oy (Ltd.).

THE FINNISH NATURE CENTRE HALTIA in the Nuuksio National Park in Espoo is an example of ecological architecture and modern wood construction.

It is the first public building in Finland to be made of cross-laminated timber (CLT) boards, which serve as the whole building’s spine and are suitable for framing, floor panels and ceilings. Haltia is heated with geothermal and solar energy, and rainwater is collected from the roof. It was designed by Architect Rainer Mahlamäki.

Metsähallitus (the Finnish Forest and Park Service) built the Pilke House in Rovaniemi in 2010. It is a model example of ecological wood construction, designed by Teemu Palo and Juhani Suikki. The CO² emissions of the Pilke House are ⅓ of those of other similar-sized buildings.

Lusto, the Finnish Forest Museum, is a science centre in Punkaharju.

MANY FINNISH ARTISANS make high-quality, unique pieces of furniture out of Finnish wood. Stool 60, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1933, is an example of classic Finnish furniture design.

A noteworthy feature is the patented manufacturing method with which the solid wood legs are bent to a 90째 angle and fastened with screws. No complicated wood joints are necessary. The stool began the era of industrial furniture.

HIGH-QUALITY WOODEN TOYS have always been made in Finland, and ever since 1923, Jukka toys have enchanted children in Finland and all over the world. You can admire old wooden toys, for example, at the toy museum in J채ms채.

ERKKI NIEMISTĂ– is a musical instrument maker and craftsman from Central Finland. All his instruments are made of Finnish spruce and birch. He also uses recycled wood.

THE FOREST is the most beloved muse and source of inspiration for Finnish artists. Many of our internationally renowned painters, such as Magnus von Wright, Akseli GallenKallela, Eero Järnefelt, and Pekka Halonen, have drawn inspiration from the forest.

A work of art can be a part of a living tree. Sanna Karlsson-Sutisna’s sculpture Arjen pyhiinvaeltaja (Pilgrim of Everyday Life, 2004) was carved out of a standing birch trunk in Kaivopuisto, Helsinki.

Seppo Uuranmäki’s eye-catching work Keinuja (Swings, 2002) is made of fibreglass and wood. The figure hanging under a road bridge draws attention in Jyväskylä.

Eva Ryynänen’s sculpture Seitsemän veljestä Hiidenkivellä (Seven Brothers on a Boulder) is made of a single tree and placed inside a TV-stand also of her design. The piece refers to the famous novel Seven Brothers, written by Aleksis Kivi in 1873.

VARIOUS WOODEN BASKETS and kitchen utensils are popular in Finnish households.

THE FINNISH SAUNA would not be complete without fragrant saunawhisks made of birch twigs. They are made of silver birch in midsummer. It brings the scent of the forest into the sauna.

Well-being from the Forest

Well-being from the Forest — A Treasury of Health and Happiness — Finnish forests are open for all hikers. Everyman’s rights guarantee that everyone is allowed to freely enjoy the silence, health effects and clean products of both state-owned and privately owned forests. Everyone is free to pick berries and mushrooms.

There are 37 state-owned national parks in Finland, the largest of which is the Lemmenjoki National Park in Lapland (2,850 km²). Our southernmost national parks are the Ekenäs Archipelago National Park, the Archipelago National Park, and the Nuuksio National Park. You can hike freely along thousands of kilometres of marked routes in our national parks, as long as you do not harm the nature.

There are legally defined specific hunting seasons for Finnish game. Our hunting infrastructure ensures that game management is controlled, and this is also taken into consideration in forestry, for example, by saving courting, or lekking grounds for Capercaillie, or Wood Grouses. This is a good example of the co-operation between Finnish forest operators. Forest use is monitored and its biodiversity is nurtured.

There are 19 strict nature reserves in Finland. They are preservation areas where visitors are only allowed to walk on marked routes. Some of our nature reserves have restricted access only for researchers and other forest professionals.

Luckily there are plenty of forests in Finland, where the mind rests and the senses awake in the calming shadow of the trees. The forest is full of recreational opportunities.

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WELL-BEING FROM THE WOODS is one of the main themes of Finnish forest research. The forest industries provide us with green chemicals such as medicine and health products extracted from trees. Clean Finnish forests are endless sources of natural medicine and healthy food. The forest makes people feel well.

Gathering aromatic herbs and medicinal plants such as junipers, nettles and sundew for your own use is allowed in all forests. Finnish forests are only slightly fertilized, and thus the food that the forest yields is clean and healthy. Over 90% of our forests meet the EU organic criteria (EEC No 2092/91).

Birch sap is used to treat rheumatic diseases and for detoxification.

Xylitol has been extracted from birch trees and used as a healthy substitute for sugar in Finland since the 1970s. It is particularly healthy for the teeth, and it also has a pleasant, fresh taste.

Tar is one of the oldest natural medicines. Nowadays it is mainly a popular aroma used in saunas, steam inhalation, soap and cleaning agents.

Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is a black mushroom that grows on the trunks of broad-leaved trees – birch in particular – which drives its mycelia deep into the tree. Chaga is a powerful medicinal fungus that has a reinforcing and stress-resistant effect.

Tall oil is a by-product of wood pulp manufacturing. It is used to make pine soap, a general cleaning agent widely used in Finnish households.

When used to wash rugs, it gives them a fresh, summery scent.

FINNISH FORESTS are always someone’s property. Forests owned by Metsähallitus (the Finnish Forest and Park Service) – i.e. state-owned forests – are marked out with signs.

Excursions, hiking and temporary camping are allowed in all forests.

Responsible wanderers honour the integrity of nature. That is why motorized vehicles are prohibited from Finnish forests. Hikers and berry pickers can get deep into genuine wilderness along forest truck roads.

Making a fire is only allowed at campsites and leantos along marked routes, or by the permission of the land-owner. If a forest fire warning has been issued in the area, fires are prohibited even at marked sites. In this way, we take collective responsibility of nurturing our valuable forest nature.

IN LATE SUMMER and early autumn, Finnish forests are loaded with berries and mushrooms. The total annual growth of berries is as much as 1000 million kilograms, but only around 5% of it is gathered.

In August and September, pine heaths are red with lingonberries. The lingonberry is Finland’s most important exported berry.

Bilberries are rich in antioxidants and anthocyanin pigments, which combat many cardiovascular diseases and even cancers, according to research.

The cloudberry is the most valuable berry to be found in our wooded pine and spruce bogs.

PICKING MUSHROOMS is a relaxing and easily captivating pastime. Chanterelles, yellowfeet and boletuses are just waiting for someone to come and pick them. In Finland, 22 different forest mushroom species have been designated as saleable food products. However, there are plenty of other delicious edible mushrooms as well.

EVERYMAN’S RIGHTS allow us all to wander through forests, admire the clean waters and watch the wildlife.

Finnish children get acquainted with the forest in their early years of school. In their environment and biology classes, children get to know their immediate surroundings and Finnish nature.

HUNTING AND FISHING are leisure activities that are subject to licence, apart from angling and ice fishing. Permission from the landowner is also required for gathering cones, decomposing wood, lichen, polypores and other plants that are important for forest biodiversity.

Hunting is a popular pastime, possible for anyone who has passed a hunter’s exam and acquired a permit to carry a firearm and a hunting licence.

There are over 300,000 hunters in Finland. Hunting is permitted in self-owned or state-owned forests and on rented hunting grounds.

Moose hunting begins in late September and ends in December. The moose is our largest and most important game animal, which can weigh up to 550 kilograms. Moose are always hunted with a competent team.

During the winter months, blue hares exchange their brown coats for white ones. The brown hare is a little bigger and has longer ears than the blue hare. Rabbit hunting is permitted from the beginning of September to the end of February.

THE LARGEST PREDATOR IN EUROPE is the brown bear – Finland’s national animal.

Sometimes people picking berries in bear country wear a “bear bell” that keeps the king of the forest far away.

THE FINNISH SPITZ is our national dog. It is a versatile hunting dog that indicates the position of game by barking and runs eagerly after elk, fowl, and even bears.

THE WHOOPER SWAN, Finland’s national bird, is a protected species. Swans returning to our shores are a sure sign of spring.

SKIERS GLIDE through the woods silently and unnoticed. They proceed slowly and enjoy the scenery. Cross-country skiing is an excellent form of exercise. Finland’s network of lighted ski tracks amounts to tens of thousands of kilometres.

When the snow is metre-high, you can travel in the woods on snowshoes. There are also plenty of snowmobile trails that lead to resting sites. After a stretch of exercise, it is nice to sit down at a campfire to eat.

DOWNHILL SKIING CENTRES are a visible part of Finland’s landscape of tree-covered hills and fells.

HIKING AND CAMPING are popular pastimes. Finland’s most expansive wilderness areas in Lapland and Eastern Finland, attract both Finns and foreigners to their paths.

ORIENTEERING is an opportunity to roam around the multifaceted Finnish forests all year round.

NATURE PHOTOGR APHY is extremely popular in Finland, and there is an abundance of objects to take pictures of in all four seasons.

CLIMBING CLIFFS and natural ice falls also belongs to the everyman’s rights.

Both are practised, for example, in the Nuuksio National Park, in Posio, Korouoma and Ruovesi. Climbers dare the heights with the help of ice axes and crampons.

PADDLING is the most natural way to travel in the land of thousands of lakes. Rivers and the sea are also excellent locations for canoeing and kayaking. White water rafting is quite popular, especially among tourists.

THE FINNISH HORSE is Finland’s national horse, a strong and versatile coldblood. Around 70% of all Finnish horses are harness racers that compete with other cold-bloods. On riding safaris, Finnish horses carry riders along forest paths into the heart of Finland’s nature. Finnish horses are also used in long-distance riding, an endurance sport.

MOUNTAIN BIKING is a fast sport that can be freely practised in Finnish forests. You can ride a bike along forest truck roads and paths to many nature sites such as bird-watching towers.

GEOCACHING is a captivating hobby in which people search for caches hidden in forests or city nature.

Photographs keijo penttinen Front cover photo: 123RF Back cover photo: Fotolia p. 9 123RF p.11 Markku Könkkölä (left) p.11 Metla / Erkki Oksanen (right) p.18 Heikki Riikonen (upper left) p.32 Markku Könkkölä p.33 Metla / Erkki Oksanen (both) p.36 John Deere Forestry p.38 HAMK / Martti Kolkka p.39 123RF p.44 MELA / Markku Pulkkinen p.46 Fotolia (left) p.46 VITRI / Olavi Luukkanen (upper right) p.46 Metla / Erkki Tomppo (bottom right) p.49 123RF p.51 MELA / Risto Pöntinen p.55 John Deere Forestry (both) p.56 Kesla p.57 Valtra p.58 Fotolia (left) p.58 Metla / Erkki Oksanen (right) p.60 Markku Könkkölä

p.61 Veikko Somerpuro p.63 Markku Könkkölä p.65 Fotolia (right) p.70 Heinolan sahakoneet (bottom right) p.72 123RF p.75 UPM p.76 Fotolia p.78 Fotolia p.79 Vapo p.83 VTT p.84 Onbone (left) p.84 Stora Enso p.85 Stora Enso (top) p.85 UPM (bottom) p.88 Kuusamo Hirsitalot p.89 Metsa Group p.90 123RF p.92-93 Kontiotuote Oy, log houses and saunas, www.kontiotuote.fi p.98 Juho Rahkonen (left) p.98 Metsä Group (right) p.99 SRV / Anttinen Oiva Arkkitehdit (3 photos) p.100 Fotolia

p.101 Metla / Erkki Oksanen (Metla) p.102 PILKE / Teemu Lahti p.103 Rami Lappalainen (left) p.103 LUSTO p.104 Artek p.105 Artek (bottom left) p.105 Woodi Oy (right) p.107 Artek p.110 Fotolia p.116 Heikki Riikonen (upper left) p.120 Fotolia (left) p.120 Fotolia (upper right) p.124 Fotolia p.124 Markku Könkkölä (upper right) p.125 Fotolia (bottom left) p.126 Jari Kostet p.127 Suomen Pystykorvajärjestö ry. / Sanna Simelius-Keski-Korpela p.128 Juho Rahkonen p.131 Suomen Suunnistusliitto p.141 Jari Kostet

Acknowledgements We wish to thank the following people and organizations that have helped us with this book.

Anttinen Oiva Architects Ltd Artek The Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster The Finnish Forest Association (Suomen metsäyhdistys) The Finnish Forest Centre (Suomen metsäkeskus) The Finnish Orienteering Federation (Suomen suunnistusliitto) The Finnish Spitz Club (Suomen Pystykorvajärjestö ry ) / Sanna SimeliusKeski-Korpela The Finnish Wildlife Agency (Suomen Riistakeskus) / Jari Pigg HAMK / Mertti Kolkka HAMK, Evon metsäyksikkö / Nina Kokkonen Heinolan Sahakoneet Oy John Deere / Heikki Valve Kontiotuote Kotkamills Kuusamo Log Houses Lusto – the Finnish Forest Museum Maa- ja Metsätaloustuottajien liitto MTK MELA Metla / Erkki Oksanen & Erkki Tomppo Metsä Group

Metsä Wood / Hanna Virtanen Metsähallitus (the Finnish Forest and Park Service) Metsämiesten Säätiö Metsätalouden kehittämiskeskus Tapio Metsäteollisuus ry Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry / Jan Heino Neste Oil Onbone Pilke Science Centre Päijänteen Metsänhoitoyhdistys / Ismo Paukku The Society for Finnish Professional Foresters (Metsänhoitajaliitto ry) SRV Stora Enso Wodd & Forest University of Helsinki / Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry UPM Vapo Versowood VITRI / Olavi Luukkanen Woodi Oy VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

Forest Inspirations

Forest Inspirations

Forest Inspirations

Forest Inspirations

Forest Inspirations

Forest Inspirations

Forest Inspirations

Forest Inspirations

Works of art p. 94 and 97

Pasi Karjula, “Jeesus sanoo: Minä olen elämän leipä” ( Jesus says, ”I am the bread of life.”) 2010,

wood, the altarpiece of the Kuokkala church. © Kuvasto 2013. p.110

Sanna Karlsson-Sutisna, ”Arjen pyhiinvaeltaja” (Pilgrim of Everyday Life) 2004, wood,

Kaivopuisto in Helsinki. © Kuvasto 2013.

p.111 (left)

Seppo Uuranmäki, ”Keinuja” (Swings) 2002, glass fiber and wood. Photo published with the

permission of Seppo Uuranmäki.

p.111 (right)

Eva Ryynänen, ”Seitsemän veljestä Hiidenkivellä” (Seven Brothers on a Boulder) 1934, wood.

Photo published with the permission of the city of Lieksa.