The night of ancient lights held in August is a common custom on all the beaches of the Baltic Sea The word ‘meri’ (‘sea’) has been used in Estonian for ten thousand years or more. The sea separates and the sea connects – regional differences in folk culture and lifestyle have developed along the water’s edge. Coastal people have been dependent on the changing sea, which has shaped their daily...

The spiritual heritage associated with a place gives special significance to a sacred natural site Sacred natural sites are natural sites associated with folk ritual activities that can be carriers of local identity. The spiritual heritage associated with a place gives special significance and value to a sacred natural site. Although the sacred sites were created centuries ago, the values...

The first milestone (2018) of the national MAES project ELME was the completion of the road map (action plan) for national scale MAES actions in Estonia. Among other aspects, initial prioritization of ecosystem services relevant for national assessment and mapping was made and the results has been used in the next MAES-works as a basis. The road map for mapping and assessment of ecosystems and...

This page provides information on the risk assessments of GMOs carried out in various countries and relevant information on which GMOs and for what purposes (cultivation, marketing, etc.) have been authorised in those countries.

Estonia has an obligation to rehabilitate at least 2,000 ha of cut-over peatlands in the period of 2014–2020 Cut-over peatlands are former peat mining areas and mire areas used for agricultural purposes where economic activity has ceased [1]. Cut-over peatlands can be classified according to their formation and characteristics [2]; two of the most common indicators are the thickness of the peat...

When building new buildings or other infrastructure, wildlife usually has to retreat: habitats can be destroyed and green networks fragmented In order to preserve biodiversity, the planning of new settlements in the areas of the green network and in their immediate vicinity must be avoided. At the same time, there may be a lot of pressure from real estate developers in such places. The surrounding...

The purpose of the Ramsar Convention is to protect the wetlands of the world, which are in danger of disappearing due to drainage, pollution, and economic uses Each year, on 2 February, the World Wetlands Day is celebrated. On that date in the year 1971, the convention for the protection of the world’s wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Iran. The convention entered into force in 1975. The purpose of...

Many former quarries have been successfully reclaimed in Estonia Quarry reclamation means the restoration of post-mining land to forest land, cultivated grassland, or arable land, as well as the creation of a new type of land or landscape (water body, park, recreation area, etc.) [1]. The reclamation of the world’s mining landscapes began in Germany as early as in the eighteenth century [2], but...

Protection rules are legislative acts approved by the Government of the Republic or the Minister of the Environment that define the protection procedure of an area. The management plan or action plan for the protection of a habitat and species is an operational action plan for nature conservation works The protection of protected natural objects is organised mainly on the basis of two documents...