Photo: Laura Koivumäki
A nature trail guide has been created at Vaarinnevankeitaa in Hämeenkangas by art students from SAMK. The artworks introduce the nature of the marsh and its history in a multi-sensory and functional way. The works were created by Anni-Maaria Leppänen and Sade Marila, students from the Kankaanpää Art School of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, and are aimed at children aged 5–10.
"Playful and surprising works inspire people to observe the nature of the bog with all their senses and to dive into the history of the bog through their imagination. On the nature trail, children have the opportunity to experience the atmosphere and nature that prevail in the bog and thus gain meaningful nature experiences that support their relationship with nature," said the executive director. Terttu Hermansson Lauhanvuori – Hämeenkangas tells about the UNESCO Global Geopark.
The works also encourage creativity among those walking the nature trail. The intangible environmental artwork Esitysestradi encourages children to create their own environmental artwork at a break point, which can be a poem, rap, story, song or thought they have invented and recited aloud. The work is recited or sung to the bog or bog spirit on the “estrade” reserved for it, which is a flat stone located near the tables.
The reliefs Ear, Nose, Eye, Hand and Mouth suggest listening to the soundscape of the bog, smelling the scents of the bog, looking at the landscapes, and feeling the elements of the bog.
The layers of the bog are illustrated by signs hung at different heights on the tree trunk, each with the name of the bog layer and the height from the bottom of the bog. You can compare your own body length to the height of the signs and this way you can find out how deep the bog is.
The Vaarinnevankeitaan bog nature trail is a 2,7-kilometer circular trail. The easy and family-friendly trail introduces the picturesque bog located south of Hämeenkangas. The trail starts at the Vaarinnevankeitaan parking area.
The artworks on the Vaarinnevankeitaan swamp nature trail have been created as part of the rural-funded Discover LH Geopark project managed by Metsähallitus.
For more information:
SAMK Kankaanpää Art School student Anni-Maaria Leppänen, 044 971 59 21, [email protected]
SAMK Kankaanpää Art School student Sade Marila, 040 523 53 24, [email protected]
Tomi Kuusimäki, lecturer at SAMK Kankaanpää Art School, 044 710 6113, [email protected]
Executive Director Terttu Hermansson, Lauhanvuori – Hämeenkangas UNESCO Global Geopark, 040 675 7363, [email protected]
Customer Service Manager Sari Airas, Metsähallitus, Nature Services, 020 639 6671, [email protected]