The International landscape Day is celebrated annually on 20 October. Celebrating Landscape Day began on the initiative of the Council of Europe. The main objective of the Landscape Day is to highlight the importance of the landscapes as integral part of the cultural heritage, identity, well-being and the quality of our living environment.
© Photo: Annika Uddström
Landskape Day 2022
Various campaigns, competitions and guided landscape walks are organised to celebrate Landscape Day, offering many opportunities to explore landscapes from new perspectives.
Anyone can organise programme to celebrate Landscape Day. The Ministry of the Environment encourages organisations and communities to consider, how they could participate in the celebration of Landscape Day and highlight the importance of landscape management, now and in the future.
Participate in the photo competition
In connection with the Landscape Day, a landscape photography competition will be organised, with the theme "my landscape". Photos taken between 17 and 23 October 2022 can be entered into the competition. The competition period ends on 23 October 2022. The main prize is a EUR 500 gift card to Rajala Pro Shop. The photos entered in the competition will be displayed at the Ministry of the Environment and on the Landscape Day website. The winner of the competition will be announced at the Landscape Symposium, in Helsinki on 9 November 2022.
Take a landscape walk
Landscapes can also be observed with guided landscape walks organised by the Rural Women’s Advisory Organisation. Walks are organised around Finland on 20 October. They are free of charge.
Participate in the photo campaign
Participate in the photo campaign celebrating landscapes by taking photos of the landscapes of your everyday life and sharing them on Instagram with the hashtag #Arkimaisema (#everydaylandscape). What kind of landscapes can you see on your way to work, to school or to the shops, or from the windows of your home? What is fascinating or beautiful in your everyday landscapes, what would you like to change, or what is already changing in the landscape? You can also follow the campaign’s Instagram account @arkimaisema.
Annual landscape celebration
International Landscape Day was celebrated for the first time in 2017. At that time the Ministry of the Environment challenged the municipalities and NGOs to consider how the day could be celebrated in the coming years.
The objective of the Council of Europe is to institutionalise the celebration of the International Landscape day on 20 October as an annual tradition. The International Landscape day is celebrated by all parties to the European Landscape Convention.
The European Landscape Convention promotes the protection, management and planning of European landscapes and organises European co-operation on landscape issues. The European Landscape Convention is the first international treaty to concern solely landscapes.
The European Landscape Convention was adopted on 20 October 2000 in Florence and came into force in Fnland on 1 April 2006. The convention is ratified by 40 countries.
Inquiries:
Annika Uddström, Researcher, Finnish Environment Institute, tel. +358 295 251 715, firstname.lastname@syke.fi
Tapio Heikkilä, Senior Environmental Adviser, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 295 250 166, firstname.lastname@ym.fi
© Photo: Tapio Heikkilä