Logging area photographed from the air at Piojärvi in Savonlinna. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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The Natural Heritage Foundation of Finland is accelerating its acquisition of conservation forests, targeting 10,000 hectares by 2027. The initiative comes as public funding for nature protection declines and reliance on private and corporate contributions grows.
Founded by the late environmentalist Pentti Linkola, the foundation currently manages 238 protected sites covering more than 6,000 hectares. Its first CEO, Timo Huhtamäki, said the trend of younger generations and business leaders supporting biodiversity through donations has grown visibly.
“There is strong awareness of biodiversity’s importance,” Huhtamäki said. “The direction of public policy and private responsibility is shifting.”
A recent acquisition illustrates the model. In 2020, the foundation purchased 54 hectares of ancient spruce forest in Utterinvuori, Hauho, using funds from “Pelimetsä,” a donation campaign by Finland’s game development industry. The campaign raised nearly €500,000, enabling the purchase of that forest and another 80-hectare area near Lake Inari in Lapland.
Most of the new focus lies in southern Finland, where old forests are under the highest logging pressure. “The forests in the south are the most vulnerable. That’s where we must act first,” Huhtamäki said.
The foundation’s growth is increasingly supported by legacies. Many individuals choose to bequeath part or all of their estate to protect forests. Monthly private donations remain a financial backbone, but wills and testamentary gifts now form the fastest-growing revenue stream.
“People want to leave something lasting,” Huhtamäki explained. “An ancient forest is a legacy that outlives the donor.”
While some question whether corporate gifts to nature groups are used to offset environmentally harmful activities, Huhtamäki believes most companies act out of genuine concern. “Firms understand that without nature, there is no foundation for business or life,” he said. The foundation itself does not participate in compensation markets or emissions offsetting schemes.
Turku-based game developers are not the only firms involved. The foundation has received support from several sectors, including textile producers and infrastructure firms. According to Huhtamäki, this signals a broader shift across industries.
The foundation’s stated goal is to acquire and safeguard 10,000 hectares of forest in the next three years and to reach 10,000 regular private donors in the same timeframe. The forests are protected permanently and are not managed for commercial logging.
A former corporate executive, Huhtamäki became the foundation’s first CEO after 30 years of business experience. The role replaces the earlier title of executive director but leaves the foundation’s strategy unchanged. “This is not just a job,” Huhtamäki said. “It is a chance to merge my skills with a lifelong goal of protecting the environment.”
The forests acquired by the foundation are left in their natural state. A site like Utterinvuori features dense moss, large spruce trees, and a complex habitat structure valuable to species dependent on untouched woodland.
As conservation budgets shrink and climate-related threats grow, organisations like the Natural Heritage Foundation are reshaping how environmental protection is funded in Finland. By relying on private citizens, bequests, and businesses, they are building a new model for safeguarding ecosystems that might otherwise vanish.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
