We are delighted to share that our research project “Everyone’s Forest – Scientific perspectives on the forest’s diverse roles, ownerships, and values” has been awarded funding by Koneen Säätiö.
Forests sustain biodiversity, mitigate climate change, provide renewable raw materials, and play a vital role in human well-being. At the same time, their historical and symbolic meanings are deeply intertwined with national, local, and personal identities. Yet the role of forests is rapidly changing due to globalization, digitalization, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
This multidisciplinary and multilingual project brings together perspectives from the natural sciences, economics, and the humanities to explore the social, economic, ecological, and cultural pasts, presents, and futures of Finnish forests. We examine current tensions in forest-related debates and seek pathways toward more sustainable solutions.
We have identified eight parallel “forest narratives”, which help us interpret the values, emotions, and conflicts historically and presently attached to forests—and to imagine more sustainable futures. Our work integrates high-level research across disciplines, combining climate and biodiversity science with economic analysis, as well as historical, cultural, and philosophical perspectives on national myths, “forest democracy,” public discourse, and societal change.
Our ambitious goal is to build a new, integrated understanding of forests—and to help shape the shared story that our forests need for the future. Everyone’s Forest.
Read more here:Jokaisen metsä – Tieteen näkökulmia metsän erilaisiin rooleihin, omistajuuksiin ja arvoihin – Kone Foundation