September closes with fisheries, fish exports and rewilding season drawing towards its end. Large gatherings at the Arctic Circle peatlands and in Koitajoki were a major highlight of this month and new StoryMaps highlight the International Week of Peatlands in Finland. Muddusjärvi forests and Sevettijärvi lake restoration in Sámi territory were important milestones for Indigenous-led restoration.

The fisheries team is headed to the ANUGA exhibit in Cologne, Germany soon as the brand new artisanal vendace cans are on the move! Equally so the fish processing facilities received an uplift over the summer and fish traps are in the waters of lake Onkamo. 

In September the International Week of Peatlands drew over 40 participants across Europe and the boreal. Exchanges on the week are summarized in a recent StoryMaps. 

In rewilding work the conclusion of the 10 years of lake Sevettijärvi restoration with Skolt Sámi has concluded. The erosion controls are in place and water hydrological regime on the comeback. The Sámi forests of Muddusjärvi under the Landscape Rewilding Programme were surveyed and new plans made. 

In Western Lapland in the community of Muonio, Tapojoki river joined and also the large Liepimäjärvi peatland complex was a highlight of September. 

October will bring collaboration visits to Germany, Estonia and international exchanges later in the month. The Arctic Passion monitoring project comes to a conclusion in Potsdam, Germany – after five years of EU-funded polar research. Check back for updates in mid-October.

End of August and September bring an international week devoted to the boreal peatlands. A major 450 hectare forest-peatland complex secured in Muonio, Northwestern Finland. Sámi restoration burns enabled recovery of a forest in Ivalo.

As we head to September, major international week of boreal peatlands commences. Both the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme and the Climate Breakthrough initiative head to Finland for major exchange on conservation and restoration of peatlands as well as inclusion of boreal communities into the work. Over 30 delegates will review and visit Snowchange restoration landscapes, discover Karelian culture associated with peatlands and enjoy the revitalized rune singing of Koitajoki. Delegates are expected across Europe, USA, Alaska, Canada and the UK. 

In rewilding news the peatland restoration proceeded both in the Arctic Circle and in Koitajoki with Kivisuo peatland completed and Petäjäsuo peatland headed for completion. In Muonio, northwestern Lapland, over 450 hectares of sub-Arctic forests, peatlands and three kilometers of a trout river of Mustijoki were included into the Landscape Rewilding Programme bringing the total of owned lands to 8200 hectares. A busy Autumn still awaits and several sites are on the go.

Sámi restoration burns took place in in the ICCA site of Alttokangas, led by the Sámi traditional owners. Snowchange and Sámi teams burned logged patches, inventoried last years burn sites and reviewed Sámi knowledge of fire. This flagship Arctic restoration of boreal forests will continue with expanded burns and monitoring efforts in 2026.

Fisheries are emerging from the hiatus of very warm summer temperatures. Seining has commenced in Selkie and a large delegation of Snowchange fishers visited Oura archipelago and Reposaari island in Pori on a community-to-community exchange. Baltic herring and sea eagles supported the visits.

After much waiting the much-anticipated Unalakleet Climate and Indigenous Knowledge Database has been released. Rhe Unalakleet Climate Events Database, which presents over 20 years of research materials, oral histories and Indigenous views on climate change affecting Unalakleet and Norton Sound, Alaska is available now.

The actual database is available here and the Arctic Seas portal.

August is here and in this newsletter we highlight a sweeping new collaboration with the Culture & Heritage Department, Gwich’in from NWT, Canada, and report the recent restoration of Makkaralatva-aapa, a large peatland at the Arctic Circle in Finland.

Culture & Heritage Department, Gwich’in Tribal Council from NWT, Canada and Snowchange have signed a sweeping collaboration agreement that establishes their home area as the new landscape hub under the Climate Breakthrough initiative. We have been collaborating with the Gwich’in Tribal Council for 25 years and this important Agreement takes the collaboration to new levels. Over the next few years we focus on the questions of peatlands and barren lands, their cultural and ecological roles in the NWT, and support the Gwich’in Tribal Council in their efforts. We commemorate this moment by releasing a new photographic book titled “When Gwich’in and Skolt Sámi Meet” in Autumn that will be distributed to the communities both in Skolt Sámi area in Finland and to the Canadian Gwich’in communities. Check back here for more information in September.

In the Finnish component of the Climate Breakthrough work, new large landscape sites such as the 300 hectare Miehinkäaapa in Salla have joined the peatland initiative. Equally so Makkaralatva-aapa located in Ranua has been now fully restored by Snowchange totalling 330 hectares. It is one of the most relevant peatlands from Western Ranua. Henri Leskinen from Snowchange restored the site. In Koitajoki peatlands have been restored in the lake Koitere region and the work will continue deep into Autumn.

In July several field missions visited the new peatland and forest sites have joined the Landscape Rewilding Programme. Maksamo lake and peatlands in Kemijärvi are a very biodiverse site that host a number of nesting birds such as cranes and are also a healthy spawning location of amphibians such as frogs. Monitoring missions have included bird, water and biodiversity mapping and results are coming in towards Autumn.

Finally Wraecca reports from the visits to the Pacific in the Spring. Please read the article here.

Chief Edwin Ogar from the Ekuri Forest in Nigeria passed away earlier in the year. Snowchange has produced together with the Chief’s daughter, Nlohojie Ogar, a major documentary session available to all. It was filmed during the week before Chief’s passing. All in all this 2,5 hour documentary summarizes the cultural and environmental work of one of the most celebrated champions for the environment out of Africa.

What is the film about? This is the documentary of Chief Edwin Ogar’s life, his struggles, experiences, sacrifices, work and accomplishments.

Who was Edwin and why does this matters?

Nlohojie Ogar, producer of the new film, comments:

“Chief Edwin Ogar was a distinguished leader from the Ekuri Community in Cross River State, Nigeria, renowned for his dedication to environmental conservation and community development. Chief Edwin Ogar played a pivotal role in preserving the Ekuri community forest, a 33,600 hectare expanse of biodiverse rainforest. He was instrumental in resisting threats to the Ekuri forest, notably opposing the construction of a six-lane superhighway proposed in 2015 by the then State government that would have traversed the community’s land. His advocacy efforts led to the rerouting of the highway, safeguarding the forest and the livelihoods of the Ekuri People. Beyond his community, Chief Edwin contributed to global discussions on indigenous-led conservation, emphasizing the importance of integrating traditional knowledge with scientific approaches to address biodiversity crises. Chief Edwin earned international recognition, including the UNDP Equator Prize in 2004.“

Snowchange staff first met with Edwin in early 2010s and the common goal of preserving and supporting the Ekuri Forest emerged. Later we started, after defeating the Super Highway in an alliance of a large number of NGOs, to support the rewilding and restoration plans for Ekuri forest. Despite the large cultural and ecological distance between the boreal forests where Snowchange operates and the Ekuri Forest we found common unity on the importance of communities in the forest and making sure these cultural landscapes are preserved.

In 2020s Snowchange worked with Edwin to get the Ekuri registered as an Indigenous and Community-Conserved Area under the WDPA / UNEP registry. Tero Mustonen, Chair of Snowchange, comments:

“Many people asked about this film during production. The process was rather unexpected. We had been phoning in the Autumn 2024 with Edwin, but then there was the winter break and all. Suddenly in January 2025 out of nowhere I got an idea of documenting, should he so choose, the oral histories and life work of Edwin given his amazing lifework. He was very keen and in rather good health. As we wrapped up the sessions he passed unexpectedly away the next day. Wow. Well, here you go Edwin – voices from the forest, as you saw them! I thank personally the filming crew and especially Nlohojie and the whole family for all the months of work of getting this done.”

The new film is available here.