Syke’s Anniversary Event: Hold On to Urban Forests and Small Waters! September 4, 2025, at Otaniemi Campus
Clean and Diverse Urban Nature with Trees!
On September 4, 2025, from 11:00 to 15:00, Espoo’s Otaniemi Campus will harness nature’s own processes to support degraded urban ecosystems. In a spirit of community effort, treetops—known as “turo” structures—will be placed in water to aid purification.
To celebrate the Finnish Environment Institute’s (SYKE) 30th anniversary, the event will take place in the valuable forest behind Aalto University’s Otaniemi Campus, near the stream flowing into Laajalahti. SYKE’s experts will demonstrate how mimicking natural processes can clean stormwater and enrich urban biodiversity. Special attention will be given to dead trees, which surprisingly can be teeming with life!
Behind Otaniemi Campus lies a natural treasure trove, where a small area hosts a vast array of natural forms, structures, and processes. Come learn how ancient ecosystem models can be practically applied in urban planning to restore urban nature. Together, we’ll place treetop wood into the stream as “turo” structures and explore what happens to the wood underwater and on the forest floor.
Aalto University students are especially welcome to explore the nearby nature and get to know SYKE. The fastest students will receive overall patches!
Getting There
- The event site is located along the nature trail from Laajalahti to Otaniemi. From Otaniemi, it’s about a 500-meter walk or bike ride along the trail.
- From Villa Elfvik, the nature trail to the event site is about 2.4 kilometers, featuring reed beds and boardwalks.
- From the Raide-Jokeri "Maari" stop (reittiopas.hsl.fi), it’s less than a 200-meter walk to the event site.
Find the event site on map (Google Maps)