New summer event takes over Finnish cities – in August, we celebrate the Baltic Sea Day
For the first time on 27 August, Finns get together to celebrate the Sea whose shores we call home with various Baltic Sea-themed events and rallies. The Baltic Sea Day, launched by the John Nurminen Foundation, is celebrated annually on the last Thursday of August, and it features a plethora of free events for all ages.
This year the Baltic Sea Day, organised on 27 August, will provide a wide selection of events for children and adults alike. The Day’s programme includes e.g. guided walks on the shores of an ancient sea, lifesaving skills for swimmers, and various maritime experiences featuring museums and theatre. The majority of events are free of charge.
“The programme of the Baltic Sea Day is being built already by over 100 organisers, ranging from cities to restaurants to companies and cultural stakeholders. Tallinn, St. Petersburg and Stockholm will also participate in the Baltic Sea Day, and plans are for the celebration to reach out to even more Baltic coastal states in the coming years. The goal of the Foundation is in fact to make this a celebration and tradition that is shared by all”, says Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, Managing Director of the John Nurminen Foundation.
Cities that have already joined the Baltic Sea Day celebrations include Espoo, Helsinki, Kotka, Lahti, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Vaasa, and Vantaa.
On Baltic Sea Day, we take a crowd plunge and eat more than a quarter million fish meals
During the various events of the Baltic Sea day, we will also take part in different kinds of sea-themed activities.
In The Plunge, we go for a swim or dip ourselves in water at six o’clock, all around Finland. Our objective is to highlight the value of our waterways, and to celebrate together the many opportunities for recreation that the Baltic Sea and our waterways provide us with. Anyone can participate in the activity, and organisations and companies have also decided to join in. Volunteers of the Finnish Lighthouse Society will take the plunge at lighthouses, and maritime search and rescue volunteers will do the same at rescue stations.
One of the goals of the Baltic Sea Day is to have the Baltic Sea Menu, which features seasonal vegetables and sustainably caught natural fish, take over restaurants, staff canteens, and home kitchens. On Baltic Sea Day, almost 300,000 fish meals will in fact be served at schools, staff canteens, by the Defence Forces, and in care homes. The Marthas join the event by providing recipes, free for all to use, that are a perfect fit for the Baltic Sea Menu.
Sea-themed events for children
On Baltic Sea Day, children can learn about the ecology and culture of the sea in various ways. The Ocean Ladies sailing group will set up a citizen’s marine research checkpoint, where you can measure the visibility depth, temperature, pH value, or oxygen content of water. At Vanhankaupunginkoski, children can learn more about how the Water Protection Association operates.
Also included in the events of the celebration are e.g. fishing, collecting trash on beaches, maritime Moomin stories, building ice ships, theatre for kids, and a fish spotting competition for school classes.
Organise your own Baltic Sea Day event
The John Nurminen Foundation, the coordinator of the Baltic Sea Day, invites all Baltic Sea enthusiasts to join in and organise an event to celebrate the sea. Baltic Sea-themed events that are open to the public can be registered on the Baltic Sea Day web site all the way up to the day of the celebration.
Events will be organised only if the authorities deem that the coronavirus epidemic is in a safe enough phase. If necessary, the Baltic Sea Day can be implemented entirely online and by sharing experiences in social media.
Baltic Sea Day 27 August 2020
www.itämeripäivä.fi www.östersjödagen.fi www.balticseaday.fi
#itämeripäivä #östersjödagen #balticseaday
More information:
Tuula Putkinen
Communications Director, John Nurminen Foundation
+358 (0)400 907 809
tuula.putkinen (at) jnfoundation.fi
Oona Lavonsalo
Communications Officer, John Nurminen Foundation
+358 (0)50 4344879
oona.lavonsalo (at) jnfoundation.fi
Baltic Sea Day
The John Nurminen Foundation launched the Baltic Sea Day on 29 August 2019. The Baltic Sea Day is celebrated annually on the last Thursday of August with various events and rallies. 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. The Baltic Sea Day is celebrated on the last Thursday of August (in 2020, the 27th of August) with events, rallies, and education.
John Nurminen Foundation – Baltic Sea protection and marine culture
Founded in 1992, the purpose of the John Nurminen Foundation is to save the Baltic Sea and its heritage for future generations. The Foundation has been awarded for its work as a communicator of information and producer of marine content. The goal of the Foundation’s Clean Baltic Sea projects is to improve the condition of the Baltic Sea with tangible measures that will reduce the load and environmental risks directed towards the sea. The work is steered by measurable results and impact. www.johnnurmisensaatio.fi
