Although there are already dozens of projects around Finland, almost all of them participated in our annual meeting in February in Espoo. The teacher who started the restoring project for sun-lit habitats at the Kankaanpää school had woken up with his group of students at five in the morning. Someone from Northern parts of Finland announced that the nature programme was the only reason why they would make the effort to visit the capital region at all. The way of doing creates strength in its creators, which is also enough to share with others.
Contacts from different parts of Finland have become more frequent as this year's funding application window for our nature programme approaches its closing. It has been encouraging to notice that Finns' relationship with nature ultimately connects us to each other. This is an important point; dividing lines are not needed for anything now.
The active actors of Finland have become aware of the funding opportunities of our nature programme. The need for restoration and maintenance of various nature sites has been awakened in different parts of the country.
The goal of the programme is to create a new operating culture for projects that strengthen nature in our country. People working in different parts of Finland and in different themes are invited to joint meetings to network, share experiences and find best practices for the diversifying and developing restoration methods of our nature. We are also looking for geographical coverage in the programme and, of course, completely new nature innovations to be duplicated.
The application window for project funding is still open until end of April. The application forms filled out by May Day still have time to be brought to the table of the independent expert council that meets before the summer. If the project is only in the early stages of planning, feel free to prepare for next year's application.
The release of previously dammed rapids, the restoration of bird wetlands and the plans made for insect pollinators in the built environment give different groups of species in different environments the opportunity to live a life that is natural to each species. Such projects are becoming more common in different parts of our country, strengthening local community spirit. New themes are also welcome, from innovations in the built environment to artificial nests. New forms of cooperation and networks are also welcome.
From the point of view of social responsibility, the funding programme for nature projects is gratuitous activity for us. It does not aim for operating profit, and the environmental effects of the projects are not covered by any environmental compensation system. The goals of regenerative forestry and land use, which strengthen nature, are pursued without external nature value transactions or projects.
My mind keeps coming back to our annual meeting in February. Empowered by a common goal and shared action, the project actives left good energy in our head office for the entire spring. This is exactly what our time needs, a vision of a better tomorrow built together, which is reinforced by working together.