Enhanced monitoring in natural forests

A people’s movement for forests

Metsäliike (the Finnish Forest Movement) works to defend natural and old-growth forests, reduce logging rates, save acutely threatened natural forests and ecological corridors, and restore the integrity of large forest ecosystems. Through our activities, we bring to public debate the current state of our forests and the ecological limits of their use. At the same time, we make the tensions and unresolved conflicts related to the topic visible. Ecological reconstruction, or the restoration of nature is needed in many areas, since saving fragments of old and natural forests is not enough to combat nature loss on its own. We want to challenge the outdated practices used by people and institutions in relation to forests and forest management, and increase the influence of ordinary citizens on natural resource issues.

We support citizens in saving valuable forests and advocating for the transformation of sustainable forest policy. Our main focus is protecting *state forests*, but we also work on other commonly owned forests, such as *municipal and parish forests*. We bring together politically influential communities, which is desperately needed in an era of nature loss and a turning point in forest policy. Additionally, we work across borders, as northern forest ecosystems do not recognize national borders drawn on maps.
What is a luonnonmetsä (natural forest)?

Luonnonmetsä (natural forest) means a forest that is completely natural or similar to a natural forest. A natural forest can be a forest that has not been affected by humans, but also forest land that may have some traces of historical forest management; however, the natural areas of the forest have been preserved despite human activity. In natural forests, the natural species composition, structure and function of its ecosystem have been allowed to develop freel. A natural forest can be identified by the continuity of deadwood, a diverse structure and indicator species. 1

Society and livelihoods must be changed to match the planetary carrying capacity. In Finland, the adaptation of material flows in forestry is a key issue here. We need an immediate and sustainable transition of the entire forest sector. In addition to expert advocacy and political decision making, interventions by ordinary citizens are also required. Since the situation is critical, all means of peaceful advocacy, demonstration and protest are valuable.

About our activities

Metsäliike is an independent people's forest movement, which started as a cooperation of Greenpeace, Elokapina Metsäkapina (the forest group of Extinction Rebellion Finland), Luontoliitto Metsäryhmä (the forest group of the Finnish Nature Association) and private individuals. Metsäliike took its current form in early spring 2023 after the winter demonstration to stop logging in Aalistunturi, a forested area in northern Finland, more people all around Finland started acting under the name of Metsäliike. The movement got its name in Kainuu, after Greenpeace and Elokapina Metsäkapina activists traveled together to stop logging in the Karttimonjoki natural forests of Suomussalmi on October 13, 2021. Even today, Greenpeace, Elokapina and Luontoliitto Metsärhymä are close sister movements of Metsäliike, which work in close cooperation with us.

Metsäliike empowers and supports locals, conservationists and business owners to defend the natural forests of their local areas. Local forest struggles influence the public debate and forest policy of the entire country. For example, Metsäliike’s protests in Aalistunturi, which received national attention, were initiated by local people and were held in close cooperation with them.

Metsäliike has successfully raised the situation of forest loss in Finland and regional forest policy problems to the forefront of public debate and news. The movement has already concretely saved natural forests from logging. The movement's actors have challenged the continuous lobbying and greenwashing of forestry giants not only in public but also at various discussion events, and also when meeting with the management of Metsähallitus (the state owned forestry enterprise) and other forestry companies.

Come join us

Are you looking for practical tools and/or collaborators for forest defense work? Then you've come to the right place! Mukaan toimintaan

We strive to ensure that everyone can participate in activities how and when it suits them. Since not everyone has the same opportunities to participate, we want to find ways of working with different communities that are suitable for each situation. In addition to protesting, demonstrating, advocating, citizen initiatives, forest patrolling activities, supporting nature mapping work and campaigning, Metsäliike promotes the distribution of research information, fact-checked discussion and other work to save forests.

You can act as part of the movement anonymously in the background or more visibly in public, locally or nationally without needing any previous organizational background. Participation in Metsäliike does not require any membership or fee. Regional movement groups currently include Uusimaa, Central Finland, Eastern Finland, Kainuu, and Northern Finland and Sápmi. In Metsäliike, you can collaborate with, for example, forest owners, cultural influencers, researchers, forest surveyors, and activists.

Operating principles

Thanks Symposium!
Conservation proposal between Helvetinjärvi and Seitseminen national parks!