Nature trip to Harakka Island in Helsinki

Students from Finnish UNESCO ASPnet Baltic Sea Project´s schools took part in the nature trip of the Our Baltic Sea -course on April 26 in Helsinki. The day started with acquaintances and speeches at Cafe Ursula in Kaivopuisto. After lunch, the connecting boat took people to Harakka Island where we started to explore the island on a guided tour oby Harakka’s environmental educators. The tour covered the history and cultural heritage of the island and its current use as a learning environment for the Finnsh Environment Center. At the same time, photos of plants and animals were taken during the tour and observational entries were made in the iNaturalist application.

Water research in pactice

In the first workshop water surveys were carried out in two smaller groups. The first group studied different water values from a given depth and the second the temperature in different layers of water as well as turbidity. In this workshop, in particular, you learned to know the basics and how values change in different seasons, for example.

The workshop left a very good feeling, especially because the team and facilitators were so nice. The experience was quite top notch and left a different interest in water research.

Investigating microplastics in the fish

In another workshop, the topic of research was fish and plastics. We searched by digesting the intestines of three different species of fish, transferred them to test vessels and dissolved them in the lab. The intestinal solution should have been in the oven overnight, so we had ready specimens to examine. We distilled off the liquids and rinsed with ethanol. We then used a microscope to search the intestinal sample for microplastics, fibers, and the like that had been mapped with images onto the microscope reference paper. We also study the structure of various substances, such as skin exfoliating substances and microplastics.

We think the workshop made me think about how much plastic ends up in the sea in reality. Seeing the microplastic from the fish itself brought it much closer to itself and helped to understand the situation in the Baltic Sea and other seas in reality. The workshop was an interesting and eye-opening experience.

Plankton research workshop

In the third workshop, the study focused on plankton and coastal zone biota. The studies were conducted together with the group. We experimented with two different ways to collect plankton and other organisms. We were the first to experiment with wounds made from filter paper itself and used it to collect research samples. Another way was to use wounds designed to collect plankton and aquatic life. After collecting the samples, we examined them under microscopes. Unfortunately, at this time of year, the biota in the coastal zone is scarce, as it is still cold.

The workshop was very interesting as we learn what kind of organisms can be found on our shores and what properties they have. The leader was awesome and it was easy to ask him questions. After the workshop, there was a great interest in the topic and a desire to know more. In addition to good mood, we had a very good experience.

Bird watching

The topic of the fourth workshop was Haraka´s birds. We got to explore the functions of different bird species such as seagulls (up to five different species), whooper swans, guinea fowl, white-fronted geese, and great bustards. Among other things, the most common nesting sites and typical behavior in different species were found out.

The birds were studied both partly up close and a little further away with binoculars. Much of the southern half of Haraka Island has been closed during the summer to allow birds to nest in peace, but we have not been able to explore the birds further in the spring. The birds were still well watched with borrowed binoculars.

The workshop was very nice largely due to the enthusiasm of the great facilitator and supervising teachers. It was interesting to get more detailed information about birds that also occur at home in the northern part of Finland.

Our Baltic Sea Project workshop

The focus of the fifth workshop was Agenda 2030, which supports sustainable development and its principles. The questions in workshop were about how sustainable development could be taken forward in the schools of the network and how to get young people excited.

We think the workshop was well organized so that the supervisors took good account of the affairs of our young people. The groups came up with lots of good new ideas to bring the 2030 Agenda to the attention and mind of young people. We suggested forexample that there should be student teams at schools that could work actively to advance sustainability goals in schools.

Power of cooperation and encounters

The sunny day and the workshop work put smiles on everyone’s faces. Finally, groups of students tell others what they had learned during the day. At the same time, there was an opportunity to ask questions to experts. During the day, we also participated in the Our Baltic Sea -bioblitz with the iNaturalist application. Students who collected the most species observations in the application were rewarded with prizes.

The trip to Harakka Island was an empowering experience for all of us. During the day, the future activities of the Our Baltic Sea Project were also introduced and discussed, and directions were sought. Students and teachers all agreed on the importance and significance of collaboration and meetings. Visits to Haraka Island and nature exploration and the promotion of sustainable development will continue to be on the agenda of the UNESCO ASPnet Baltic Sea Project in future in Finland.

Text: Anni Suoraniemi, Ebba Sundén, Sofia Hautakangas, Valtteri Autio, Juho Kaataja and Mika Jokiaho.

Photos: Ebba Sundén, Eeva-Maria Muurman and Mika Jokiaho