Besuch des Partnergeoparks Rokua (Finnland)
Following the EGN conference in Lappeenranta (Finland), two representatives of the UNESCO Swabian Alb Geopark – Iris Bohnacker (Managing Director) and Teresa Mangold (Geopark Schools and Educational Projects) – took the opportunity to visit our partner geopark, Rokua, and one of its partner schools for the first time.
The Rokua Geopark has been a partner geopark of our geopark since 2012. It is situated in northern Finland, around 200 km south of the Arctic Circle and approximately 35 km from Oulu, this year’s European Capital of Culture.
The region is characterised by a landscape shaped by the last Ice Age, featuring eskers, drumlins and glacial striations. Typical features include sparse coniferous forests with light-coloured lichens on the ground, which are an indicator of very low air pollution. The region also has something special to offer geologically: the oldest gneiss is around 3.5 billion years old.
The Geopark covers the three municipalities of Vaala, Muhos and Utajärvi. With around 10,000 inhabitants across an area of approximately 1,300 km², the region is significantly less densely populated than the Swabian Alb Geopark, which has around 1.4 million inhabitants across 6,200 km².
Mikko Kiuttu, Managing Director of the Rokua Geopark, set aside two days to present the concept and work of his geopark to representatives from his partner geopark Swabian Alb.
The varied programme included visits to various geosites, information centres and partner institutions. A particular highlight was the visit to the Muhos Lukio Gymnasium, one of the geopark schools of Rokua. The school has maintained a close partnership with our geopark school, the Schubart-Gymnasium in Aalen, for more than ten years. The partnership between the two schools is actively fostered through regular student exchanges. An Erasmus+ project is planned for the coming years. On the façade of the school building, this partnership is represented by a work of art made from stones from the Swabian Alb and Rokua.
The Rokua Geopark has an extensive network and is an important partner for local authorities, businesses, schools and other stakeholders in the region. The visit therefore not only provided fascinating insights into the work of the Finnish partner geopark, but also offered valuable impetus for further exchange and cooperation. Joint projects in the field of education are planned in the near future.
