Jänissaari is priceless.
Located in lake Nuorajärvi, Ilomantsi. Suomeksi, PDF
In September 2022, Helsinki Foundation purchased Reposaari (Fox Island) from a forestry company with the help of a notable donation from Partioaitta outdoor store. We have the Fox.
Now for the Hare! We have till June 2023 to collect 159 000 euros to purchase Jänissaari (Hare Island) from the same forestry company. Please donate.
About this area
At Lake Nuorajärvi, two islands next to each other are immersed in serenity. In Finnish, the smaller one is called Reposaari, the larger one Jänissaari. “Repo” meant fox in the ancient Finnish language, but hares are still called “jänis” in Finland these days.
Hare island has sandy beaches at both ends, which are geological traces from the Ice Age created by melting waters. Both islands are covered with beautiful old forests.
As far as we know, Fox Island has never suffered the visit of an axe. However Hare Island experienced some selective logging in 1903, when Finland was still under the rule of the Russian Tsar Nikolai II, and then some more selective logging in the 70’s and 80’s.
History goes much further back than that, though. An ancient living site has been found on Hare Island. In the middle of the island a formation of small impressions mark an ancient living place. Old ceramics and tools, relics of the Stone Age, have also been found on the island.
Today, the island is highly valued by locals, and it has been used for years to deepen the connections of people with nature, especially for those with different functional disabilities. For this purpose, there is a permanent lean-to with a fireplace and sanitation facilities near the southern shore, with a wooden path leading up to it, which enables people with reduced mobility to enjoy nature and at the same time protects it from degradation. Local guides organize trips for individuals with special needs. Groups are not brought onto the island without a local guide who knows the local environment well.
