National Parks (in Finland)
| National Parks (in Finland) | |
| Object date | Since 1938 |
| Place of Origin | Finland |
| Designer | Unknown / Nature / Metsähallitus |
| Manufacturer | Unknown / Nature / Metsähallitus |
| Materials | Forests, lakes, seas, shores… Trails, signs, camping sites… |
by student Aarni Tujula
National parks are important in making nature more accessible. That was seen during the pandemic, when national parks were visited significantly more than in previous years. The opportunity to contact with nature is important, since it feeds the interest to protect the environment.
I consider the relationship between human and nature as a liminal space. Are we on top of the biosphere or are we living in synergy with non-humans, nature? By examining national parks, our prevalent dominant position towards nature and non-humans can be seen.
The fact that there is a park made for people to go to nature already says a lot. Humans have decided where ‘nature’ is by creating borders for forests. We also talk in terms of visiting a park. In the word ‘visit’ lies a truth. We are not living with nature since we have to ‘visit’ it, and thus our connection is lost.
Despite this, I am optimistic that increased visits to national parks during the pandemic will have a positive impact in the bigger picture. Hopefully the connection and willingness to protect nature have increased even if the reasons behind going to the forest are more human-centric.
Metsähallitus, n.d. History of the Finnish National Parks. Retrieved from https://www.nationalparks.fi/hikinginfinland/experiences/historyandculture/historyofthefinnishnationalparks. Viewed 10.12.2020.
Image
Picture taken by the student.
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