by Lauren Salisbury
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We were in the pristine peace of Nuuksio National Park in Haltia, Finland. But our troupe of travelling teachers split into two boats, and with the collective rhythm of a wet mop, my boat struggled to cover any distance in the hefty headwinds of Lake Pitkajarvi. Boat #2 whizzed past us with seemingly effortless strokes. We tried to look alive, but no matter how hard we tried, our syncopated oar swings only slapped the water. Wood was clashing and somehow bodies were tumbling backwards off their benches. We hoisted one another up by the straps of our life jackets, which I worried might need to be put to intended use at some point. The further back one sat in the boat, the higher the awareness she had of the crew’s abilities. Our guide was slacking on the job, so our ever-optimistic music teacher, Ronda, attempted to bring us some harmony from the final row of the struggling vessel:
My paddle’s keen bright
Flashing with Silver
Follow the wild goose flight
Dip, dip, and swing
Dip, dip, and swing
But we didn’t quite dip and we surely didn’t swing. She tried to get on our level with a special rendition of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, but we totally butchered that, too. We were eventually able to axe our way back to the dock with windblown hair and blistered hands at least 30 minutes behind boat #2. Nonetheless, we were all thankful for this day on the water amongst the trees with new friends. And appropriately, Ronda’s inclination to incantation perfectly echoed the roots of Finnish creation myth, the Haltia Nature Center, and present-day Finnish culture.
My paddle’s keen bright
Flashing with Silver
Follow the wild goose flight
Dip, dip, and swing
Dip, dip, and swing
But we didn’t quite dip and we surely didn’t swing. She tried to get on our level with a special rendition of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, but we totally butchered that, too. We were eventually able to axe our way back to the dock with windblown hair and blistered hands at least 30 minutes behind boat #2. Nonetheless, we were all thankful for this day on the water amongst the trees with new friends. And appropriately, Ronda’s inclination to incantation perfectly echoed the roots of Finnish creation myth, the Haltia Nature Center, and present-day Finnish culture.
Prior to rowing 7 km on the lake, we had been sweetly nestled right up the hill in a wooden egg inside the the center’s main exhibition hall. Our tour guide, Satu, explained the architectural inspiration for the building. She had all the Tolkien nerds in the house at “Kalevala,” the national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish oral folklore and mythology. The main character in its creation story, Vainamoinen, is the first and wisest man. He brings order to chaos with magical songs, chants, and poetry. He was the inspiration for Tom Bombadil, the merry old fellow from The Lord of the Rings who relied on the power of nature and song. His magical voice could charm birds and otters into guiding his boat to the shore for him. We could have only been so lucky.
According to the Kalevala, in the beginning there was only air and water. The goddess Ilmatar floated in these primal waters for over 700 years. A duck looking for a place to lay eggs made its nest on Ilmatar’s knee and laid six golden and one iron egg. The hatching of the eggs made Ilmatar’s knee too hot, so she moved it, making the eggs roll down into the water and break. The pieces formed the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars and the clouds. Then Ilmatar then gave birth to Vainamoinen. He brought trees and life to a barren world with the help of seeds from Ursa Major. Satu shared with us how sacred the bear is to Finnish culture. (Make sure to crawl into the bear and fox den once you exit the egg.)
According to the Kalevala, in the beginning there was only air and water. The goddess Ilmatar floated in these primal waters for over 700 years. A duck looking for a place to lay eggs made its nest on Ilmatar’s knee and laid six golden and one iron egg. The hatching of the eggs made Ilmatar’s knee too hot, so she moved it, making the eggs roll down into the water and break. The pieces formed the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars and the clouds. Then Ilmatar then gave birth to Vainamoinen. He brought trees and life to a barren world with the help of seeds from Ursa Major. Satu shared with us how sacred the bear is to Finnish culture. (Make sure to crawl into the bear and fox den once you exit the egg.)
The Haltia building rests on the slope of lake Pitkajarvi like a duck in its nest. The tower reaches into the sky like a bird’s neck with the head turned to look towards the water. The solar panels on the roof resemble a bird's feathers. And just as Vainamoinen mother’s footprints created the lakes of the Earth (over 180,000 in Finland alone) the Haltia Nature Center created a special footprint of its own. The architects treaded softly and sustainably using only wood in its construction, natural lighting, and geothermal, wind, and solar energy. It won the 2015 European Museum of the Year Award with special commendation as an exemplar for the relationship between man and nature.
Haltia currently offers day schools and summer camps to local students. A hallmark of Scandinavian education is the concept of friluftsliv (frí-loofts-live). The literal translation is “free air life.” While students and visitors are inside the center, they can experience the magic of Finland’s 39 National Parks across its diverse regions from the archipelago to the Lapland. They are presented across all five seasons–spring, summer, fall, fall-winter, spring-winter. But most importantly, they are encouraged to get outside the center and interact with nature. Nothing complicated-just get outside, play, and wonder.
I highly recommend visiting this special place, whether it is to view special exhibitions or experience the Nuuksio lake uplands by foot, canoe, horse, skis, or snowshoes. You can borrow a nature path backpack which includes a readily planned two hour forest program and all the equipment you need. The material is only available in Finnish so make sure you have a translation app on your phone. It is also possible to borrow equipment for nature studies, such as measuring tools, species guides, and magnifying glasses. You may also rent hiking equipment, such as compasses and camping cookers.
Keep the story of the Kalevala alive by experiencing and appreciating Finnish nature. And choose your boat wisely.
Haltia currently offers day schools and summer camps to local students. A hallmark of Scandinavian education is the concept of friluftsliv (frí-loofts-live). The literal translation is “free air life.” While students and visitors are inside the center, they can experience the magic of Finland’s 39 National Parks across its diverse regions from the archipelago to the Lapland. They are presented across all five seasons–spring, summer, fall, fall-winter, spring-winter. But most importantly, they are encouraged to get outside the center and interact with nature. Nothing complicated-just get outside, play, and wonder.
I highly recommend visiting this special place, whether it is to view special exhibitions or experience the Nuuksio lake uplands by foot, canoe, horse, skis, or snowshoes. You can borrow a nature path backpack which includes a readily planned two hour forest program and all the equipment you need. The material is only available in Finnish so make sure you have a translation app on your phone. It is also possible to borrow equipment for nature studies, such as measuring tools, species guides, and magnifying glasses. You may also rent hiking equipment, such as compasses and camping cookers.
Keep the story of the Kalevala alive by experiencing and appreciating Finnish nature. And choose your boat wisely.
He thought about the sea, the rain, the wind, the sunshine, the grass and the moss...and how it would be impossible to live without them. -Moomintroll
FINLAND | Timelapse from Riku Karjalainen on Vimeo.