There is more and more talk of biodiversity-friendly tourism There is an increasing focus in the world on making informed choices to conserve natural resources and the environment. This also applies to the tourism industry, and includes saving and using water and energy wisely, reducing and sorting trash and waste, consuming local products, favouring environmentally friendly materials, and...

The development of nature tourism is based on the principles of sustainable development, nature conservation, and the preservation of rural life and cultural heritage Nature tourism is a form of tourism whose main emphasis is on observing and valuing nature. Nature tourism should not be confused with nature-based tourism (such as hunting or fishing tourism as part of active holidays), for which...

The berries are rich in vitamins and minerals and various bioactive compounds, while providing little energy Going berry-picking is a good reason to go to nature, breathe fresh air, and get to know the surroundings – it is a part of Estonian summers and autumns. Berry pickers keep alive a tradition of centuries, if not millennia old. The opportunity to pick vitamin-rich, useful, and tasty winter...

There is probably no disease that people have not treated with plants Plants have been used to treat diseases for thousands of years. Reading folklore, it becomes clear that the old Estonians used medicinal plants to treat all kinds of diseases and conditions. The inner power of plants was expected to help with alcoholism, freckles, fright, epilepsy, nightmares, as well as cancer and smallpox [1]...

Mushroom picking and eating began to be widely introduced in the late nineteenth century More than 7,000 species of fungi have been found in Estonia. There are about 400 species of edible mushrooms in Estonia, and about 200 species of poisonous mushrooms [1]. An Estonian still goes to the forest in the autumn to be able to make themselves a delicious sauce from fresh mushrooms and to salt...

A large audience and numerous participants provide an opportunity to raise the environmental awareness of the participants and spectators during the event As recreational sports gain popularity every year, the pressure on nature is also growing. New competitions and a growing number of recreational athletes require new venues, and in that regard, nature is used more and more. Sporting events can...

How to mitigate the impact of climate change on the natural environment? Climate change in the natural environment is mainly manifested in extreme changes in air temperature and precipitation: changing weather conditions, such as floods, high temperatures, and droughts, are changing current ecosystems permanently. More adaptable species will survive (for example, the jackal will arrive in Estonia)...

What changes in biodiversity will climate change bring? Global warming is caused by the greenhouse gases (CO 2, CH 4, N 2O, F-gases) released into the atmosphere, which create the greenhouse effect [1]. These gases do not release the thermal radiation from the Earth back into the atmosphere and the heat is reflected back to Earth [2]. Due to global warming, extreme weather events – storms, floods...

Winter cave trips endanger wintering bats Bats spend almost half a year hibernating, thus avoiding the harshness of the winter. For the winter, bats hide in underground spaces – in Estonia, they favour basements, mines, caves, old military tunnels and shelters. The main criterion for the choice of wintering grounds is the temperature, which must not fall below zero; high humidity is also a plus...

Welcome to the introduction page of the nature observations database! We invite everyone to enter their nature observations (the first springtime common hepatica, the roe deer you saw, the nightingale you heard, etc.) in the nature observations database. This database has been created for all nature lovers who want to keep a so-called nature observations diary and share their observations with...