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ECOCLUB, Issue 95
ECO JOURNEYS
The secret beauty of Estonian Nature
Estonia is one of Europe’s best kept secrets: green, flat and relatively empty of people,
although it was settled as far back as 7,500 BCE. With an area (45,215 km2). as large
as the Netherlands plus Denmark, it only has 1.5 million inhabitants. This lack of
population pressure bodes well for nature, with dense forests, half of which are
privately owned, covering as much as half of its area, and home to some 800 lynx, over
500 bears and 150 wolves (the hunting of which is unfortunately still legal), numerous
white-backed woodpeckers and even a few Siberian flying squirrels. Estonia lies at the
border line between Nordic Boreal Forests, and Central European broad-leaved forests,
thus hosts fauna from both types. Bogs and mires offer suitable habitats for eagles,
eagle owls and northern shrikes. There are over 1,500 lakes of various sizes, mostly of
glacial origin, covering around 5% of the
total territory, including the 5th largest lake
in Europe, lake Peipsi. Estonia is rich in wooded meadows, a result of grazing and
mowing, as well as flooded meadows and coastal meadows which provide nesting
sites for many threatened bird species.
The cold war prevented coastal areas
(3,800
km coastline) and 1,500 islands (only 9 of which are permanently inhabited) from
being developed as they were fenced off, and today host around 7,500 seals. A varied
climate with distinct seasons, moderated by the gulf stream adds to the pleasure of
visitors, with temperature going from 30 Celsius in July to 0 in dark winter months,
when you can still hear wolves howl at nights.
Estonia is chosen by some 50 million arctic waterfowl for their May and October
migrations, with the Ramsar site and National Park of Matsalu Bay being the best
place to be to observe these.
North Estonia is characterised by impressive limestone formations, which contain
diverse fossils ranging from trilobites and snails to corals on Vormsi and Saaremaa
Islands. The Baltic Klint, a 1,200 km coastal cliff stretching from Oland in Sweden to
Lake Ladoga in Russia, passes through here, reaching 56 metres at its highest at
Ontika. The Baltic Klint gives birth to 35 waterfalls, the highest of which is Valaste
with a height of 26 metres. Numerous large boulders with a diametre of 25 metres or
more, were brought here across from Finland during the ice age fascinate.
Lahemaa park, founded in 1971, is the largest national park in this area and the oldest
in Estonia. It has high landscape diversity,
including beaches, peninsulas, boulders,
coastal cliffs, forest, villages and manors,
forest-meadows and waterfalls.
North Eastern Estonia is also characterised by oil shale mining, since 1916, with
Estonia being one of the world’s largest producers. A large oil shale mine, Kohtla,
which closed in 2001, is now a museum, with former miners working as guides. Two
man-made hills in the area reach up to 100 metres, the result of waste piles of the oil
shale industry.
North Western Estonia is famous for bird
migration in the 500km2 Matsalu National Park (271 bird species recorded), nd 10km
long sandy beaches. The shallow Vainameri sea lies between the coast and the four
biggest islands, dotted with numerous islets full of bird nests and seals. On Saaremaa
island, along with numerous national parks, one can visit the unique Kaali meteorite
crater, a result of the impact of a huge meteorite strike 6,500 years ago, which had a
profound influence on Nordic mythology.
Western Estonian wooded meadows are among the most biodiverse plant communities
in the world, with up to 76 higher plant species per square metre.
Dense Boreal forest in Lahemaa N.P.
Well-maintained boardwalks in Lahemaa
One of the 35 waterfalls over a limestone
cliff, part of the Baltic Klint
Large boulder from Finland across the bay
Fishersmen’s houses in Lahemaa park
