The Bog 2.0 - Vitality to Ilomantsi with comprehensive sustainability

The project supports new multi-use of peatlands in North Karelia and just transition by producing, gathering and sharing information and novel meanings of peatlands to support private and public decision-making and by bringing stakeholders together. Stakeholders are those whose lives directly or indirectly are connected to peatlands, including those that live nearby.

In the project, nature and culture tourism is developed together with local partners and well-established Karhu-festival that celebrated its 10th anniversary, participatory experiments are piloted with the Koitajoki-Koitere forum which gathers stakeholders participating in the decision making about natural resource use in the area, university and vocational teaching on peatland restoration is developed and after-use methods for peat extraction sites are mapped. The project uses existing platforms and makes reference to existing projects as examples for the sustainable nature tourism and after use of peatlands in North Karelia. The project creates new livelihoods and meanings in an ecologically sustainable way and maximizes the social-ecological benefits. As a result of the project’s activities, the capacity of tourism and nature restoration stakeholders to develop new activities and see new meanings of peatlands is strengthened.