Musician plays regional anthems to defend threatened Finnish forests

Musician Mikko Aaltio is touring Finnish forests threatened by possible logging, performing regional anthems on the bass clarinet to encourage people to protect them, Yle reports.

Aaltio recently played the regional anthem of Central Ostrobothnia in Taskuneva, a state-owned forest in Halsua where he estimates that some trees are 100 to 200 years old.

The performance was one stop on his Metsämaakuntalaulut tour. He is visiting forests that the Luonnonmetsätyöryhmä, Metsäliike and Greenpeace have identified as diverse and valuable in terms of their natural features. At the same time, Metsähallitus has filed active forest-use notifications for the sites.

“At any time, a machine could arrive on that newly completed forest road and fell these trees. That would be a great injustice. I am playing regional anthems so that people know this place exists near them,” Aaltio said.

Aaltio said he is carrying out the campaign as a private individual, although Greenpeace and Metsäliike, which defends natural forests and opposes clear-cutting, have advised him on selecting locations.

The idea for the tour emerged after Aaltio heard about logging plans and became distressed. He later found an old book containing all of Finland’s regional anthems in a second-hand bookshop.

“Regional anthems tell stories about people and perhaps a little about resistance to foreign rule, but above all they are about nature. It is our strength and the foundation on which we build our society,” he said.

Aaltio wants concern about forests to become more prominent in people’s awareness, especially in relation to their home regions and nearby nature.

“When nature collapses, our society collapses as well. Biodiversity is one of the measures of its vitality,” he said.

During the first Metsämaakuntalaulut tour in autumn 2024, Aaltio visited Southern Savonia, Central Finland, South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, Uusimaa and Kanta-Häme.

This time, he is visiting Pirkanmaa, Satakunta, Southern Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and Lapland. He hopes to tour the remaining regions by October.

“This is a positive approach to the forest debate. There is no shouting or opposition. Instead, I remind people positively where Finnish culture comes from and what we still have left,” Aaltio said.

He hopes the video series will inspire people to take an interest in and protect the forests in their home regions. Aaltio is making the videos with his father, Jukka Aaltio, and younger brother, Markus. They will be published on Instagram and YouTube.

Aaltio said polls show that a clear majority of Finns want politicians to take stronger climate action.

“But where are the actions by citizens? We need to demand more from decision-makers,” he said.

The Covid-19 crisis gives him hope, he said, because it showed that when there is political will, society can change remarkably quickly.

“I hope ordinary citizens can create such political pressure through their actions that decision-makers are forced to act,” Aaltio said.