The Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation will start a special fund-raising campaign on 7 December 2012 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its chairman, Pentti Linkola, who established the foundation. The campaign will last until the end of the year.

Pentti Linkola, a Finnish fisherman and author, used to dream of buying primeval forests for conservation.

To fulfil this dream, he opened a bank account for white-backed woodpeckers, and the savings were increased when a fund-raising campaign was arranged in 1992. His dream finally came true in 1995 when the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation was established. The foundation has a board of 14 members from the various different fields of life. We receive support from Ikimetsän Ystävät, Friends of Ancient Forest, an association established in 2005.

The foundation provides a channel for private citizens, communities, and companies to do something concrete about protecting the unspoiled forests. The results are there. After all, we have managed to establish 33 conservation areas already all over the country. Compared to commercial forests, the forests that we are protecting contain three or four times more wood and even ten times more fallen trees, standing dead trees as well as rotten logs, all useful for microorganisms.

Please, pay your donation into our account IBAN FI78 5494 0950 0224 93 and use either the reference number 20970 or the message “Pentti Linkola 80”. We will use your donations for the purchase of new conservation areas.

Our email is: [email protected]

The Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation was established in 1995 for the conservation of Finnish forests. We receive our funds from private donors. If you are a forest friend, you are welcome to buy a piece of primeval forest, which you can give someone as a present, for instance, if you want. You can also become a regular sponsor.
www.luonnonperintosaatio.fi

Friends of Ancient Forests, Ikimetsän Ystävät, is an association that supports the foundation’s work by providing information and counselling in the issues of forest conservation and by arranging trips to the areas protected by the foundation as well as voluntary work to maintain them.
www.ikimetsanystavat.fi(link is external)

Phot: Jorma Ahola 2012.