Belonging to the global network of UNESCO is a great recognition for Estonia’s pure environment A biosphere reserve is an area that is internationally recognised by the UNESCO MAB (Man and Biosphere) programme. The sites are designated by national governments and each site must meet certain conditions to justify its inclusion in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Each site must include three...

Green events are events with little or no environmental impact. A key component is reducing the natural resources used at the event, such as water, food, energy, and waste [1]. The inclusion of green thinking in the organisation of events began at the 1992 Rio de Janeiro conference, when it was noted that events also have negative effects. This, together with Agenda 21, provided the basis for...

A green office pays attention to the environmental awareness of employees and the promotion of it among them, as well as the general environmental and health friendliness of the office premises The goal of an environmentally friendly or green office is to continuously monitor and reduce the organisation’s environmental impact, which results in cost savings, sustainable use of natural resources...

A procurement is purchasing goods or services under the terms of an agreement A green public procurement, or GPP, means the procurement of products or services with a minimal environmental impact. The main objective of green procurements is to reduce the environmental impact of products and services that arises from their production, use, and disposal, i.e. throughout the life cycle of the product...

In the section on green initiatives, we take a closer look at how any organisation or company, or indeed any person, can reduce the negative environmental impacts of their activities and thus contribute to improving the state of the environment and protect biodiversity. Green procurements are a powerful administrative tool for both the public and private sectors in moving towards more...

Sustainable development improves people’s quality of life in line with the resilience of the environment Sustainable development is one of the most important priorities of the policies of the world, the European Union, the Baltic Sea region, and also Estonia. The aim of sustainable development is to achieve a balance between the social, economic, and environmental spheres and to ensure a full...

Protecting biodiversity contributes to the preservation of the natural goods provided by the ecosystems that are necessary for human life Biodiversity is a common asset of all people and needs to be carefully preserved and protected to ensure our good living environment. Preserving healty and cohesive ecosystems and the sustainable use of natural resources help reduce the environmental pressure...

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...

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]...

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...