The SATAKOLKYT project began in 2019 and was originally scheduled to end in December 2021, but was extended to next year with additional grants. “We are very pleased to be able to continue cleaning up the Baltic Sea and the beaches,” says the project coordinator. Karoliina Eronen. “Next year, the project will focus especially on young people,” Eronen continues. The project will continue until the annual Baltic Sea Day at the end of August 2022.
Individuals, school classes, youth groups and organizations have been involved in the clean-up work. Many companies have also participated as part of staff welfare days. “Especially during the pandemic, the importance of urban nature has increased in the daily lives of many people. The littering of the Baltic Sea worries many, which has certainly inspired action,” says Eronen. “According to the volunteers’ feedback, collecting garbage is rewarding, because you can immediately see the work you have done,” Eronen continues.
An interactive map can be found at on the campaign website. It shows when which beach was last cleaned. Anyone can reserve part of the shoreline on the map for cleaning. When the beach is marked cleaned on the map, its color changes from red to green. “With the help of the map, an individual beach cleaner joins a larger community. This is how we see that no one is doing this alone, but together we can do more,” Eronen explains. He assures that the map service will also be available after the end of the project. “In addition, we are developing our map service so that we can support the outdoor activities of groups of children and young people in the Helsinki metropolitan area,” says Eronen.
Spring and summer are traditionally the beach cleaning season. Instead, in winter, snow can cover the debris below. However, there are many different nature sites on Helsinki’s seashore to explore in winter as well. “You can also take your loved one on a cleaning trip to the beach as a lasting Christmas gift,” Eronen suggests. The beach cleaning gift card can be downloaded free of charge from the project website. “A gift card can give you a fun experience and at the same time help protect the Baltic Sea.” To make cleaning as easy as possible, you can borrow cleaning supplies from libraries.
Source: City of Helsinki Department of Culture and Leisure
Source: The Nordic Page