Bear photography short break in Finland
How Bear photography short break in Finland makes a difference
Environment
Our guide is Finnish, passionate about the beautiful environment and committed to its conservation. He has a deep understanding of the importance of minimising the impact on the environment whilst maximising the benefit to the local communities. This is taken into consideration in every aspect of the trip. Most importantly, visitors to this remote area provide income to protect the bears and the environment in which they live.
During this trip all guided walks are led by experienced and knowledgeable guides who take both your safety and the impact of visitors on the wildlife very seriously. They ensure that a sensible distance is always maintained from any wildlife encountered. The 3 nights spent in hides give you a unique opportunity to photograph wild brown bears in their natural environment from the comfort and safety of the specially designed bear hides.
We are proud to hold the AITO 3-star Responsible Travel accreditation recognising our commitment to sustainable tourism. In 26 years of operation, we have raised a significant sum of money for a number of extremely worthwhile causes. One of the organisations we support is the Friends of Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) at the University of Cambridge. Their pioneering research investigates social and environmental issues in the Arctic and Antarctic, such as global warming.
Back home we have an active environmental policy in our office including recycling bins throughout; printing our brochures on FSC accredited paper from sustainable forests; systems to encourage a paperless office; and movement sensor lights which use the latest energy-saving long-life elements.
Community
We are dedicated to ensuring that local communities and environment are treated with the utmost care and respect. In the remote area visited by this tour, tourism is one of the main income sources for rural communities, providing economic benefits for the local businesses and employment for the residents, thus avoiding a drift towards more urban areas.
The lodge we use is owned and run by locals and their staff. The kitchens use as much home produce as possible, such as berries, mushrooms and fish. The rye bread has been created together with the nearby bakery. And decorations such as flowers, cones, lychen, stones and bark all come from the surrounding nature.
The lodge works very closely with local activity providers, most of whom are independent one-man businesses with a passion for their activity. They have grown up in the area and have a great knowledge of their surroundings and the nature, which they enjoy passing onto their clients during the activities to ensure they get the best out of the experience.
Many other local associations also play a part in the lodge. For example, once a week during winter, a local Folklore group visits playing, singing and dancing together with the guests. Many of the older traditions are carefully preserved and are part of the entertainment offered, such as rune-singing, tar-history, war-history, Father Christmas and traditional nature tasks.
Bear photography short break in Finland
1of5
