A new dog run is opening in Skanssi Biodiversity Park, offering dogs and their owners a safe and nature-friendly outdoor environment. The area serves as an example of how recreational use and the promotion of biodiversity can be reconciled.
The Skanssinmäki dog park has been designed to preserve the area’s natural features as much as possible. During construction, as many of the existing trees as possible have been left standing to ensure that the environment remains natural and provides shelter and habitats for other species as well.
However, the trees removed to make way for construction will not be taken out of the natural cycle. Some of them will be left in the area to rot on the ground, and artificial logs will also be created in the area. Dead and decaying wood is an important habitat for numerous insects, fungi and birds, but there is often too little of it in urban environments.
The area is also piloting environmentally friendly ‘Dark Sky’ lights, designed to illuminate footpaths in a way that causes as little disturbance to the environment as possible. The lighting is directed where it is needed, so that the effects of light pollution on nocturnal animals, insects and other wildlife are kept to a minimum.
The dog park opens today, Thursday 27 August, and forms part of the biodiversity park being built in Skanssi. The official opening of the biodiversity park will take place in the summer of 2027.
Dog owners play an important role in the wellbeing of nature
The aim of the biodiversity park is not only to increase biodiversity but also to strengthen people’s connection with nature. Dogs can help us view the environment from new perspectives. When we observe a dog’s interest in its surroundings, we often find ourselves stopping to observe nature more closely.
At the same time, dog owners play an important role in protecting the area’s natural environment. Dog waste should be collected from everywhere, including wooded recreational areas. Dog faeces introduce nutrients into the environment, which can lead to soil eutrophication and alter the conditions of sensitive habitats. Furthermore, faeces can spread pathogens and pharmaceutical residues into the environment.
These impacts are particularly pronounced in small green spaces and popular outdoor recreation areas where there are many dogs. Picking up dog mess is therefore a small act that can have a significant impact on both biodiversity and the attractiveness of the area.
– The aim at Skanssi Biodiversity Park is to create an urban environment where people, dogs and other species can live side by side. The new dog park offers one concrete opportunity to achieve this: it is a place where you can enjoy nature whilst also learning to better understand the needs of other species, says project coordinator Selina Raunio.
There is no separate parking area near the dog park, but visitors can make use of the parking facilities at Skanssi shopping centre, for example.
The Skanssi Biodiversity Park is part of the Urban Biodiversity Parks project, which actively develops and tests ways to promote biodiversity in urban settings. The project has received funding from the European Urban Initiative – Innovative Actions (EUI-IA) funding programme. Project partners: City of Turku, University of Turku, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Villi Vyöhyke ry, Varsinais-Suomen Asumisoikeus Oy, Blokgarden Oy and Valonia.
This translation was produced with AI and reviewed by a human.
