ENO participates in local, regional, national and international activities in engaging communities in sustainable development activities, including climate actions. Joensuu is a growing city, with several new residential areas being built. Karhunmäki is one these, with approximately 800 households in the area. The Climate Blocks -project, implemented by the city of Joensuu, is a project that encourages citizens but especially apartment buildings and residential areas to act to effect climate change. ENO and Climate Blocks partnered up in this project.
ENO facilitated the participation of the local school, pre-school, kindergartens and the community of Karhunmäki residential area in the planning and planting a small forest park on a sound barrier between the main road and the suburb. We had workshops or other planning events with kindergartens (participants 1-6 year olds), preschools (6-7 year olds), primary school (7-12 year olds) and the community (1-70 year olds).
Pre-schoolers ideas and wished for the forest park: trees, flowers, snowmen, butterflies and people
Pre-schoolers’ ideas and wished for the forest park: exercise equipment, swings, slides, trees and flowers
The actual planting of the forest park was postponed from May to September. Because of Covid, we had to make a strict schedule for the day, when the kids came to plant. In Finland, the schools were open in the autumn but the different groups in schools were to have 1-2 meters apart. With the amount of kids coming within a few hours window, we had Karelia University of Applied Sciences’ forestry students helping with digging the planting holes and instructing the planting.
We had a fantastic time with the community during the planning and the planting!