Wandering in the forest takes all your troubles away

1 February 2022 Forests in photos

This February, our photo in the spotlight is ‘Mirror Image of Beasts’, taken by Timo Sundgren in Kuhmo, Finland. The photo was one of the finalists of our 2021 Experience Forests, Experience PEFC Photo Contest.

Timo told us about the love for forests in his country and how his stunning photo came about.

How do you feel about forests, both professionally and personally?

The Finnish soul is strongly linked with the forest. Forests cover more than 75 per cent of the land area of Finland. Measured by the proportional share of forest land, Finland is the most forested country in Europe.

Finns feel good in the forest. We love hiking, gathering berries and mushrooms, or simply walking in the woods. Wandering in the forest takes all your troubles away and fills you with peace and calmness.

How did the forest inspire you to take your winning photo?

I spent a weekend in a hide, hoping to see and photograph bears and wolves. The greatest animals that you can find in our forests. 

I never thought that I would witness them gathering next to each other by a dead calm pond mirroring their reflection. They don’t feel threatened, they don’t compete, they coexist. A truly magical moment.

What do you think about the work that an organization such as PEFC does to care for forests?

Forests contribute to climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon. Forest is one of the dominating elements of Finnish nature and its diversity. Almost three million hectares of the Finnish forests are protected or under restricted use, which represents 12.6 per cent of the forest area. This is the highest share in Europe.

So you can say that we love our forests and want to preserve them as best as we can. But we aren’t finished, we could always do more. That’s why it’s important to have organizations such as PEFC to feel as strongly about forests as we do.