Significant commitment from RELEX Foundation and Snowchange Cooperative to the biodiversity of peatlands and forests in Ilomantsi and Sápmi in Finland

Snowchange Cooperative (Lumimuutos) has received a substantial €600,000 grant from the RELEX Foundation for nature protection and restoration in Eastern and Northern Finland from 2024 to 2026. The aim is to safeguard Finland's unique and valuable peatlands and old-growth forests amidst increasing economic pressures. Local communities and their cultural heritage are at the heart of the initiatives, and restoration efforts utilise traditional ecological knowledge.

“The funding from RELEX Foundation enables us to launch new initiatives. In Ilomantsi, we can protect and restore additional areas, connecting ecologically valuable habitats such as eskers, natural small water ponds, and peatlands within the nationally significant Putkelanharju-Petkeljärvi area. Protecting and restoring these sites near the eastern border are particularly effective, as the recovery of species and ecosystems benefits from the proximity of Russia's vast old-growth forests and pristine peatlands. In Sápmi (Säämi), at River Ciuttjuuha in Aanaar in the Finnish Sámi homeland, we can acquire key old-growth forests vital for biodiversity conservation and work to restore areas impacted by human activities in collaboration with our Sámi partners,” says Tero Mustonen, Chair of Snowchange Cooperative.

The funding will also support the ongoing large-scale restoration project in the Koitajoki watershed. This initiative improves the condition of valuable peatlands and enhances the water quality of Koitajoki, which has suffered for decades due to forestry management actions, such as peatland ditching and alterations to hydrological conditions. By improving water quality and restoring spawning grounds, the conditions for the reproduction of the critically endangered brown trout and other salmonid species will be improved. Local residents are actively participating in monitoring the river's condition through Finland’s first River Guardian programme.

The impacts of these efforts on nature recovery – such as species and habitat restoration, water quality, and climate emissions – will be monitored using scientific methods in both Ilomantsi and Sápmi. This research will provide insights into how quickly the condition of various ecosystems can improve through restoration and what other environmental effects may arise. This information will be valuable as Finland works to comply with the EU’s new Restoration Law, which mandates member states to restore at least 20% of their land and water ecosystems by 2030.

Snowchange has successfully employed innovative approaches to securing large areas for protection and restoration, working closely and respectfully with local communities.

“The ambitious, community-oriented approach of Snowchange brings much-needed hope. The intertwined crises of biodiversity loss and climate change are accelerating. We need practical examples that demonstrate how declarations can be transformed into impactful actions that improve nature at the scale needed. With perseverance and creativity, even a small group of people can drive significant progress toward a better future,” says Johanna Småros, one of the founders of RELEX Foundation.

Snowchange Cooperative (Osuuskunta Lumimuutos) is an independent, non-profit cooperative engaged in professional fishing, ecosystem restoration, and supporting traditional livelihoods worldwide. The cooperative is based in Tohmajärvi, North Karelia. www.snowchange.org, www.landscaperewilding.org, www.koitajoki.org

RELEX Foundation for a Better Future promotes diverse nature, a stable climate, and equitable societies. The foundation supports visionary organizations and initiatives working toward a better tomorrow for future generations. Although the foundation shares the same founders and a similar name with the company RELEX Solutions, it operates entirely independently. www.relexfoundation.org

For more information on this collaboration, contact:

Tero Mustonen
Chair
Snowchange Cooperative
tero@lumi.fi

Outi Kuittinen
CEO
RELEX Foundation for a Better Future
outi.kuittinen@relexfoundation.org

General inquiries concerning RELEX Foundation: contact@relexfoundation.org

Photo: Mika Honkalinna / OSK Lumimuutos (c)