How Finnish destinations and travel companies are giving back to nature

What if travel didn’t just leave no trace but actually helped nature flourish?

That’s the idea behind regenerative thinking. In Finland, destinations, travel companies and communities are taking real action to improve biodiversity, restore ecosystems and deepen our connection to the natural world. Visitors may not always be involved directly but their presence, support and curiosity still play a part.

Here are real-life examples of how Finnish destinations and travel companies are helping nature heal.

In the eastern wilderness of Salla, travellers can now take part in preserving Finland’s forests. Through the Give back to local nature campaign (Sallan luontohyvitys) developed together with the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation, visitors can choose to protect old-growth forest, peatlands, or rare floodplain woods, or even support the restoration of swamps.

Participants select the amount they wish to contribute and what kind of habitat they’d like to protect. It’s a unique way to connect with local nature and leave a lasting, green footprint in one of Finland’s most pristine regions.

Pollinators like bees are responsible for around 90% of flowering plants and 75% of global crops. Yet their numbers are in decline. The Lakeland city of Lahti has launched a hands-on campaign called Ilman pölyttäjiä emme pärjää which translates to without pollinators we cannot survive.

To help bring biodiversity back to backyards, Lahti is distributing 10,000 packets of native meadow seeds to residents. By encouraging hallittu hoitamattomuus – controlled wildness – citizens can turn their gardens into vibrant pollinator habitats. It’s a grassroots approach to ecological change, literally.

In the Nuuksio area near Helsinki, invasive large-leaved lupins have been crowding out native wildflowers. To fight back, local travel company Hawkhill – a forerunner in sustainability – launched the Lupin Battle, a community initiative that brings together summer residents, businesses, local associations and travellers. With tools and guidance from the Regional Environment Centre, and help from social media, volunteers removed over 200 bags of lupins in just one summer. 

Hawkhill also invites guests to explore the nearby Haukansuo bog, a unique ecosystem that’s being carefully restored. Bogs are Finland’s most important carbon sinks and over 30% of Finland’s land area was once boggy terrain. Through guided walks, visitors learn about bog plants, berries, history, and mythology, and see the restoration process first-hand.

At Haltia Lake Lodge, just outside Nuuksio National Park, guests are invited to join in the care of traditional Finnish meadows. Using tools like scythes and wooden rakes, they help cut and dry the grass, just as it was done for generations. This work keeps the landscape open and nutrient levels low, creating space for endangered plants to thrive. It’s a simple but effective way to support biodiversity – and to slow down. Many visitors come away not just with a new skill, but with a deeper appreciation for how nature responds to thoughtful care and patient effort.

On the rocky island of Bengtskär, hundreds of eider ducks return each spring to nest. Their unexpected ally? The lighthouse’s year-round presence of people. Staff from Bengtskär Oy, along with respectful visitors, help keep predators like white-tailed eagles at bay simply by being on site.

The entrepreneur wakes up early each morning to patrol the island, while guests are informed in advance and asked to avoid disturbing the nesting areas. Nests are marked and protected, and native bushes have been planted to give the birds more shelter. The long-running spring eider trips, co-organised with Wilson Charter Oy, also help extend the season and raise awareness.

Snowmobiles are a classic part of winter adventures in Finnish Lapland, but traditional models have come with noise, emissions and the scent of fuel. Lapland Safaris has made it their mission to reduce the environmental impact of these excursions. The company began by switching to cleaner four-stroke engines. 

Now, they’re leading the way with electric snowmobiles in Luosto and Rovaniemi. These machines are nearly silent, free from exhaust smells and produce no direct emissions, making them far less disruptive to the surrounding wilderness and to animals like reindeer. The experience is also more comfortable for visitors, many of them describing the experience as calming and immersive.

On Örö Island in the Archipelago Sea, nature protection takes many forms. One of the island’s biggest challenges has been an overpopulation of white-tailed deer – an introduced species that feeds on rare, endangered plants. In response, Visit Örö, in partnership with the Metsähallitus (the state-owned enterprise producing environmental services) and the local hunting club, has organised guided hunting trips to manage the population. While hunting may feel difficult for some, it’s a carefully considered conservation effort. The venison is also used in the island’s restaurant, turning impact into insight.

Alongside this, Visit Örö involves guests in practical nature care. Every spring, volunteers are invited to clean litter washed ashore from the open sea. After the work, participants are treated to salmon soup – a warm, quintessentially Finnish reward for helping the island’s ecosystem. Similar efforts take place in the meadows, where juniper and heather are cleared to make space for endangered wildflowers to grow again.

At Angeli Reindeer Farm in northernmost Finnish Lapland, simplicity is a conscious choice. Instead of building separate visitor facilities, the family running the farm welcomes guests into their home, their yard and the everyday rhythm of life on a working reindeer farm. This approach keeps material use to a minimum and helps protect the surrounding nature. It also creates an experience that feels real. Nothing staged, nothing extra.

The Forest of Love is a simple idea with deep roots. Created by Mood of Finland, the concept invites people to plant a tree and dedicate it to someone or something that matters to them. The tree can be planted on your own land or at one of several communal sites in southern Finland. You’ll receive a certificate, and part of the proceeds go to supporting old-growth forest protection through the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation.

At Tackork Gård & Marina in Nauvo at the Coast and Archipelago region, nature restoration is part of everyday life. A wetland on the property has been brought back to life, creating a thriving home for birds, insects and aquatic plants. The restored wetland doesn’t just support biodiversity. It also improves water quality by filtering nutrients from runoff before they reach the nearby bay. Over time, this has helped make the surrounding waters clearer and healthier. Visitors can explore both the wetland and the adjacent wild forest, which have become favourite spots for walking, watching and quietly reconnecting with the landscape.

At the family-run AT Nature in Lapland's Inari region, food isn’t just something served. It’s something gathered, caught and shared in the heart of the Arctic forest. On guided wilderness trips, guests forage berries and mushrooms, fish from clean lakes, and prepare game when in season. Everything is harvested respectfully and in small quantities, just enough for the meal. The experience brings travellers closer to nature, not just through taste but through understanding. It’s a slow, grounded way to enjoy what the land offers, with minimal impact and maximum meaning.