On this page, we have collected important information and materials for Baltic Sea Day partners: partner newsletters, the materials bank, and frequently asked questions. If you need hints on how to participate in the Baltic Sea Day, i.e. on how to organise events and activities, do take a look at this page.
Why did the John Nurminen Foundation launch the Baltic Sea day alongside all other theme days?
The Baltic Sea Day came into being after a long period of consideration. On various occasions, the Foundation had received encouraging feedback on its operations and events, and for the fact that we introduce multifaceted views on the Baltic Sea into societal discussions. We realized that there is an obvious demand for a theme day dedicated to the Baltic Sea. In our operations, which seek to save the Baltic Sea and its heritage, we combine the magnificent culture and history of the Baltic Sea flexibly with tangible protection measures.
We realized that many people associate the Baltic Sea with eutrophication and the blue green algae catastrophes we witness each summer, and that concern for climate change can even lead to apathy. We wanted to build hope and remind people that a lot has been done for the Baltic Sea, and that in our work alone, we have managed to reach visible results in the status of the Baltic Sea. Even though the Baltic Sea is remembered in official seminars (which we organize, too!) there was no unofficial, joyous summer festival with audience participation in our calendars One of the Day’s important goals is its international character, and we were excited that the Baltic Sea would be acknowledged in all countries that surround the Sea at the same time – be it by eating Baltic Sea-friendly food, or by taking a plunge in local waters.
It is great to be building a Baltic Sea tribe that brings us together, and we are grateful to all the partners who have joined this work so far. A decisive factor in 2019 was the great enthusiasm and encouragement of some of our key partners, and the fact that the cities of Helsinki and Turku supported the event, and became the Day’s strategic partners. The success we reached in 2020 is a clear indication that there really is a need for this Day, and in 2022 more than 250 partners, more than 30 cities and six countries were already involved. We succeed thanks to the partners who join in, as this is a joint effort.
How can I sign up and become a partner?
Baltic Sea day partnership is free of charge, and we invite everyone to join in and enjoy the day in the way that suits them best. You can become a partner using the form on the website, or by announcing your own Baltic Sea day event on the Baltic Sea Day website.
If you are not yet sure how you want to participate in the Baltic Sea Day, you can first get acquainted with the available Baltic Sea Day campaign concepts, i.e. the Baltic Sea menu, the Plunge, and the Baltic Sea Moment. We have also put together a list of tips and sources of inspiration for museums, companies, restaurants, libraries, and schools and kindergartens.
Anyone can subscribe to the Baltic Sea Day’s partner letter. In the letters, we provide information on current issues related to Baltic Sea Day preparations, and include tips for the use of our partners. The letter is sent to your email around six times per year. You can also read all the partner letters already sent out on the Baltic Sea Day web pages.
Is there a fee for participating in the Baltic Sea Day, or do I commit to something by participating?
Baltic Sea day partnership is free of charge, and we invite everyone to join in and enjoy the day in the way that suits them best. You can become a partner by e.g. announcing your own Baltic Sea Day event on the Baltic Sea Day web site.
We hope that all partners of the Baltic Sea Day commit to the Day’s values that emphasize communality, sustainable development, and shared goals and code of conduct. The Baltic Sea Day is built with great spirit of community, and we hope that all participants respect the Baltic Sea community and the other partners of the day. Our shared goal is to implement actions that make people’s heads turn towards the Baltic Sea.
The idea is that the general public can also participate in the Day’s celebrations in many ways. Free events as well as events with a fee are both well suited to the spirit of the Day. On Baltic Sea Day, you can organise also events with a fee; restaurants can sell the Baltic Sea Menu, and museums can have their normal entry fee – this is all at the partner’s discretion.
How do activities differ from events?
A Baltic Sea activity can be any kind of activity or action that celebrates the Baltic Sea, such as a trip to a lighthouse with your work colleagues, a moment dedicated to cleaning up beaches with your friends, or a picnic to the seaside to enjoy a Baltic Sea menu. Activities can be implemented with your own community, such as a group of colleagues, friends, or family. Rallies, feats and trips listed as activities are not necessarily open to the public at large. Your activity can of course also reach out to a larger audience: you can, for example, challenge all Finns to cook new delicacies from cyprinids, or to sing a song about the Baltic Sea and share the video in social media.
In addition to activities, all kinds of events with any kind of maritime theme are organised on Baltic Sea Day. Events can be free of charge or have a fee, registration may be required, and the number of participants can also be limited. If you announce an event on the Baltic Sea Day pages, it must be open to all. An event can be e.g. a guided children’s arts and crafts hour, a sea-themed concert, an online lecture on the status of the Baltic Sea, or serving a Baltic Sea option at a restaurant (N.B. the Baltic Sea Day menus at staff canteens are counted as activities, as the number of participants is limited).
What are the flagship campaigns and activities, and how can we participate in them?
The so-called flagship campaigns and flagship activities are rallies with concepts prepared by the John Nurminen Foundation, in which any stakeholder or private individual can participate in the manner they choose. If planning your event or activity seems troublesome, you can always utilize the flagship campaigns that are ready for you to use. You can also take a look at the ready campaigns if you need tips and inspiration for setting up your own event or activity.
Our goal is to make each flagship campaign go viral, and to make the Baltic Sea the number one topic, so that through the participation of each and every one of us, focus in the entire Baltic Sea area will be on the uniqueness and immeasurable value of the sea.
The campaign concepts prepared for the Baltic Sea by the John Nurminen Foundation are:
The Baltic Sea Menu. You can take part by cooking or eating Baltic Sea friendly food. Restaurants can create a Baltic Sea friendly dish, or an entire Baltic Sea Menu. Baltic Sea Menus by restaurants are announced on the Baltic Sea Day pages as an event. If you organise a Baltic Sea-themed cooking hour or perhaps a picnic with e.g. your work colleagues or friends.
2) The Plunge. On Baltic Sea Day, people all around Finland and the Baltic Sea take the plunge at 6 p.m. You can take the plunge in any waterway, and even just dip in your toe. You can challenge your friends or your work colleagues to join. The idea behind the Plunge is to enjoy the opportunities for recreation provided by waterways, and, on the other hand, to draw attention to the ecological status of the Baltic Sea.
3) Baltic Sea Moments. Baltic Sea Moments are dedicated to the unique culture of our home sea, and getting to know its unparalleled nature. Spend a moment with a sea-themed book, podcast, exhibition or movie, either together or on your own. We encourage museums, theatres and other cultural entities to participate in the Baltic Sea day by organising Baltic Sea themed exhibitions, guided tours, workshops and presentations, aimed at the general public. Events that are open to the public at large can be announced as Baltic Sea Day events.
We do not know how we could participate in the Baltic Sea Day. Where can we get help and tips?
We have put together a list of tips and sources of inspiration for museums, companies, restaurants, libraries, and schools and kindergartens. Also, it is well worth your while to take a look at the previously prepared Baltic Sea Day campaign concepts, which are the Baltic Sea Menu, the Plunge, and Baltic Sea Moment.
If planning your event or activity seems troublesome, you can always utilize the flagship campaigns that are ready for you to use. You can also take a look at the ready campaigns if you need tips and inspiration for setting up your own event or activity.
Does the Baltic Sea Day event or activity need to take place exactly on Baltic Sea Day, or can it be scheduled for the same week, for example?
Most of the activities take place on Baltic Sea Day, but you are of course free to celebrate the Baltic Sea day on other days as well. The event or activity can have the duration of a week, a month, or even a whole year. Restaurants, for example, can serve a Baltic Sea Menu or museums can organise a sea-themed exhibition for the time span that they choose. An event or an activity can therefore start even before the Baltic Sea Day, and end after the Day.
How can we announce our event?
Announcing both an event and an activity can be done by filling in a brief form on the Baltic Sea web pages. At the same time, you can sign up as a Baltic Sea partner. After you have filled in the form, your information will be moderated, after which your event or activity will be published on the Baltic Sea Day web pages. You will receive an email confirmation when the event or activity is made public.
Announce an an event here.
When and how do communications on the Baltic Sea Day take place?
The John Nurminen Foundation communicates about the Baltic Sea Day all year round, and especially in spring and summer, with particular focus on August. We highlight the Baltic Sea Day and its events and activities in social media organically and through paid advertising. Communications and media cooperation will be most intense during summer. We will send out media releases at the very beginning of summer, and right before the Baltic Sea Day. Our goal is to highlight the reach of the Baltic Sea Day in our communications: the variety of events, participants, locations, and countries involved.
Baltic Sea Day has its own web pages in Finnish, Swedish, and English. The web pages are the most important communications channel of the Baltic Sea Day. We also communicate about the Baltic Sea Day via the John Nurminen Foundation’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn) with the hashtags #itämeripäivä #östersjödagen #balticseaday #läänemerepäev. Social media updates are essentially done in Finnish, but updates in English and Swedish will also be made on occasion. The Baltic Sea Day also has its own Facebook event, managed by the account of the John Nurminen Foundation.
Baltic Sea Day news is communicated to partners with partner letters and partner workshops. Anyone can subscribe to the Baltic Sea Day’s partner letter. In the letters, we provide information on current issues related to Baltic Sea Day preparation, and include tips for the use of our partners. The letter is sent to your email around six times per year. You can also read all the partner letters already sent out on the Baltic Sea Day website. Most partner workshops are organised early in the year and in the spring, and they are advertised in the Baltic Sea Day website news section and in partner letters.
How can partners communicate about the Baltic Sea Day?
We encourage all Baltic Sea partners to communicate about the day, both online and when out and about! Partners can, for example, make a Facebook event of their own Baltic Sea Day activity, and communicate about the Baltic Sea Day in social media or on their web pages. The more we spread the word on the Baltic Sea Day, the more we can highlight the cause and ways to help the Sea. Partners should utilize the Baltic Sea Day materials bank, where you can download e.g. Baltic Sea Day logos, various banners for social media, images, and other useful content.
There are no set rules for communications, but you should of course take into account the Baltic Sea Day values. We hope that all partners of the Baltic Sea Day commit to the Day’s values emphasizing communality, sustainable development, and shared goals and code of conduct. The Baltic Sea Day is built with great spirit of community, and we hope that all participants respect the spirit of this Baltic Sea community and the other partners of the day – also in their communications.
We hope that partners would include the attached Baltic Sea Day boilerplate to their news, releases and other texts on the Baltic Sea Day.
The Baltic Sea Day, launched and coordinated by the John Nurminen Foundation, is celebrated every year on the last Thursday in August with various rallies and events. The goal of the theme day is to highlight important marine themes, and encourage people to take concrete action for the Baltic Sea. The Day celebrates the versatility and immeasurable value of the Sea. Moreover, the celebration seeks to disseminate information on marine nature, culture, and history. In 2023 the Baltic Sea Day is celebrated on August 31st. www.balticseaday.fi
Can we raise funds in connection of the Baltic Sea Day?
During the Baltic Sea Day, you can also donate or collect funds in a way that befits the spirit of the Day. Already last year, foundations and associations that are involved with the Baltic Sea collected funds for their own operations, setting up e.g. social media campaigns, rallies, and events in the spirit of the Baltic Sea. On Baltic Sea Day, we at the John Nurminen Foundation also highlighted the opportunity to make a donation to support the Foundation’s work. It is worthwhile to note that funds should be raised in adherence to the Money Collection Act. Each stakeholder is responsible for fundraising as specified in their own permits.
The idea is that the general public can also participate in the Day’s celebrations in many ways. Events of the Baltic Sea Day can be free of charge, or they may involve a fee. This means you can also organise events that have a fee: restaurants can sell the Baltic Day Menu, museums can charge their normal entry fee, etc. – this is all at the discretion of each partner. You can also raise funds at your event, within the constraints of the organisation’s money collection permit.
Does the John Nurminen Foundation raise funds for its own operations in connection with the Baltic Sea Day?
When we created and launched the Baltic Sea Day in 2019, we decided that the main goal of the Baltic Sea Day is not to raise funds for the Foundation, as the Day has a wider societal goal. Essential to the success of the Baltic Sea Day is that as wide a selection of different kinds of stakeholders, including cities, museums, libraries, schools, research institutions, companies and other foundations that work for the Baltic Sea participate in the Day. With the Baltic Sea Day, we want to raise awareness, with the widest scope possible, of the unique culture, sensitive nature, and interesting history of the Baltic Sea.
We raise funds all year round, and donations to us can be made also on Baltic Sea Day. Even though donations are not the main focus of Baltic Sea Day, they can be an easy way to participate in the Baltic Sea day. On the first two Baltic Sea Days, we have raised funds for our operations within the #OURSEA joint campaign of the Foundation and Moomin Characters; now, since the campaign ended in the end of July 2021, we raise funds with other themes that build up the Baltic Sea Day. The Foundation focuses in particular on organising the Baltic Sea Day, and related communications. The central aspects of the Baltic Sea Day are celebrating together, organising events that everyone can participate in, and doing good deeds for the Baltic Sea.
Partners
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