28.04.2012

Seminar “Social indicators in Forestry – focus on nature-based recreation and tourism related indicators” was held in the Finnish Forest Research Institute, (Metla, Vantaa, Finland) on the 25^th-26^th of April, 2012. The workshop was attended by representatives of nine countries of Northern Europe: Denmark: Frank S.Jensen (University of Copenhagen); Estonia: Kalle Karoles (Estonian Environment Information Centre), Kerli Karoles (RMK); Finland: Tuija Sievänen (Finnish Forest Research Institute), Liisa Kajala (Metsähallitus), Marjo Neuvonen (Finnish Forest Research Institute, ph.d student,); Lithuania: Olgirda Belova and Gintautas Urbaitis (Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry); Northern Germany: Priska Weller (von Thuenen Institute / Institute of Forest Based Sector Economics); Northwest Russia: Natalia Demidova and Nadezhda Demina (Northern Research Institute of Forestry, Arkhangelsk); Norway: Odd-Inge Vistad (Norwegian institute for nature Research, NINA); N UK: David Edwards (Forest Research, Northern Research Station); Sweden: Peter Fredman (Mid Sweden University).

The workshop is the starting point of the same name project, funded by the EFINORD-SNS under the 50% self-financing.

The aim of this networking project is to gather scientists and other experts from Northern Europe to discuss how to proceed with the challenge of social indicators and monitoring of changes of social issues, particularly recreation and tourism, in forestry and forest exploitation. The network of North-European experts will make a project plan for standardization and harmonization of social indicators for management of sustainable forestry and forest exploitation, and sustainable nature-based recreation and tourism.

Picture 1 - Workshop participants discuss the social indicators in forestry

Picture 2 - Project Coordinator – Tuija Sievänen, METLA

Picture 3 - Presentation of N.A. Demidova