Saving the sea in Lauttasaari
1 October & 3 October 2026
Lauttasaari parish hall, Kassari Pavilion
Events open to all in Lauttasaari: discussion on 1 October, coastal Lauttasaari walk, litter picking, and an art and science discussion on 3 October.
Come along to listen and save underwater life in Lauttasaari! Our Foundation is organising coastal activities and a programme on Thursday 1 October and Saturday 3 October. On Thursday evening, there will be an informative event on restoration work to restore bladderwrack and eelgrass to their original habitat in the coastal waters around Lauttasaari, and discussion of local residents’ memories and experiences of the sea.
On Saturday, active members of the Lauttasaari Association will be holding a public walk combining coastal cultural history with environmental information, the City of Helsinki’s Baltic Sea Challenge will be organising a litter pick at Kassari, and our Foundation’s afternoon will culminate in an art and science event at Kassari Pavilion, where participants can listen to a thought-provoking art and science discussion, underwater sounds, and saxophone improvisation. Learn more about the events below.
1 October: Lauttasaari beneath the surface – new lease of life for key marine species
What treasures are hidden in the coastline of Lauttasaari?
Lauttasaari’s seaside scenery is a familiar sight to everyone on the island, but a peek beneath the surface reveals hidden treasures: flourishing bladderwrack beds and meadows of eelgrass waving in the currents. Lauttasaari is an excellent growth environment and habitat for key Baltic Sea species, which provide sustenance and habitats for many of the island’s resident birds, and help keep swimming waters clear.
Humans and the sea have not always coexisted seamlessly, however; many important species have disappeared from Lauttasaari’s shores over the years. The John Nurminen Foundation is restoring bladderwrack and eelgrass meadows to their old habitats at Hevosenkenkälahti and Länsiulapanniemi in collaboration with the City of Helsinki and the Baltic Sea Challenge.
The sea is also important to the islanders from cultural and historical perspectives. Many of the islanders have their own favourite spot to swim in or to sit and look out over the sea. What’s your favourite spot?
You are warmly welcome to learn more about underwater life in Lauttasaari, to share your own memories and experiences of the sea, and to discuss how local marine nature is being restored in the John Nurminen Foundation’s Sea Too project!
The discussion will be organised in the parish hall of Lauttasaari church from 5.00pm–7.00pm on 1 October. Coffee and small refreshments will be served at the event. The event will be organised in collaboration with the Lauttasaari Association and the City of Helsinki’s Baltic Sea Challenge.
3 October: Coastal walk, litter pick, and art and science discussion
Coastal Lauttasaari walk
What history is hidden away in the coastline of Lauttasaari? Why were spirits smuggled specifically to Lauttasaari during the Prohibition era? What is life like for otters in the rocky coastal waters around Lauttasaari?
Welcome to the Coastal Lauttasaari walk! The walk will explore Lauttasaari’s shores through a historical lens, and examine how humans and nature have interacted in the area.
The walk will be led by Ville Elomaa, Chair of the Lauttasaari Association’s history group, and Mikael Hildén from the Hiilineutraali Lauttasaari (Carbon-neutral Lauttasaari) project.
Route: Meet in Särkiniemi in Veijarivuorenpuisto (Itälahdenkatu 1a). The walk is around 1 kilometre long from the old gunpowder cellar to Lauttasaari pavilion (Kuikkarinne 1).
When: 3 October from 2.00pm–3.30pm.
Language: The event is bilingual and will be held in Finnish and Swedish.
Litter-picking
Join a litter pick to clean up the shores of Lauttasaari! Waste plastic is particularly hazardous to nature on land and in the sea. In water, plastic gradually breaks down into microplastics, but does not completely biodegrade.
On Saturday, there will be a community litter pick at Lauttasaari’s Kasinonranta. Litter pickers and rubbish bags will be provided. At the event, participants will have the opportunity to discuss litter-related harms to health and the environment, and ways to manage littering.
What: Litter picking and littering awareness
Time: 2:00pm–3.30pm
Where: Litter pickers can be borrowed from in front of Lauttasaari pavilion. Would you like to borrow litter pickers for personal use? You can borrow litter picks from most libraries in Helsinki. You can also gather your friends or colleagues and organise your own litter pick. The City of Helsinki can deliver litter pickers and rubbish bags to the site and remove the picked litter. Read more at https://puistotalkoot.hel.fi/en/.
When knowledge is not enough: art and science meet at Kassari pavilion
How can art increase our understanding of the sea’s importance? How can listening to the underwater world awaken us to biodiversity?
Welcome to an evening filled with art, science, underwater sounds, and improvised saxophone music at Kassari Pavilion!
The art and science session will feature sound artist Jana Winderen, researcher Camilla Gustafsson, Head of Programme at the John Nurminen Foundation Miina Mäki, and musician and composer Esa Pietilä.
In our discussion, we’ll ask how art can awaken people to understand the sea’s importance. Why is listening so important? How do art and science achieve change?
After the discussion, we’ll immerse ourselves in the underwater soundscape recorded by Jana Winderen and enjoy saxophone improvisation by Esa Pietilä.
Time: programme from 4.00pm–6.00pm, followed by free socialising from 6.00pm
Location: Kassari Pavilion
Language: Finnish and English
These events are part of our Sea Too project, in which we restore Baltic Sea habitats and key species, and strengthen people’s relationship with the sea. You can learn more about our project:
We prevent the loss of nature in the Baltic Sea by restoring underwater habitats and promoting sustainable use of marine resources. Read more!
