Trickster Magazine

What does “wild” mean to you?
Depends on whether you mean people or nature. A wild person is someone who follows his/her own path and is immune to other people’s judgments or common social norms. In that sense, I am a wild person. “Wild nature” is an ecosystem that has zero or very low human impact for decades. In Estonia, there are still some landscape patches like this remaining.

Do you feel like nature teaches you something? If so, what?
Nature teaches us to be present in the moment. To listen to tender soundscapes and notice small, evolutionarily developed processes around us. It could be the delicate song of a warbler or the incredible number of insects on a ground elder bloom.

What’s a sound or smell from nature that instantly transports you somewhere?
It’s quite easy because my hearing is very sensitive and (I assume) well linked with the memory center of the brain. So whenever I hear the first bird chirp in the early morning in the city, I’m already mentally somewhere in the woods or wetlands. Or whenever I open the box with my summer hiking gear, the certain smell of soil and dead leaves brings me back to my favourite landscapes. From my playlist, definitely Galaktlan’s track “Mina kaheks” – I always listen to it during the fieldwork season on sleepless evenings. When I have to go to sleep around 9 p.m. to wake up at 3 a.m. for forest bird counting.

What role does nature play in our mental health?
Connection with nature is crucial to our mental health. Science has proven that spending time in nature soothes the symptoms of depression. Some theories say that the overall increasing depression rate is caused by detachment from nature. On the other hand, experiencing the destruction of a beloved forest can trigger “ecological grief” – a condition similar to real grief, full of hopelessness and sadness.

Is there a specific moment or landscape that changed the way you see the world?
The wild forest-wetland landscapes of Soomaa National Park made me a true field biologist, and I decided to commit to this profession for good. It has one of the largest and most intact landscapes in Estonia. These areas taught me to see nature with the sight of a naturalist, and also survival in the wild.

How do you see your role — are you an educator, storyteller, administrator, or all of the above?
At my current position at the Estonian Fund for Nature, I am more like a firefighter. The job requires reacting to political decisions that harm nature, especially forests, fundamentally. As I did my research and PhD at the University of Tartu, I still see myself as a scientist – the curiosity toward the processes in ecosystems always remains with me. In that sense, I am also an educator and storyteller, but not an administrator.

What’s a place in Estonia (or elsewhere) that feels especially magical to you?
Every single patch of forest, wetland, or even rural landscape is magical on a sunny May-June morning at 4–5 a.m.

Have you ever had a close call or a surprising encounter while out in nature?
Once in Soomaa, I was surrounded by a distant wolf pack during early morning bird observation. I could not see the wolves, only heard the howling. I felt some ancient, indescribable fear, but since the animals were quite far, nothing particularly interesting happened.

What kind of knowledge do you think is most important for reconnecting people with the natural world?
One does not have to go to the wildest, most visually striking, or photogenic place to reconnect with nature. Just take some time and do a slow, early-morning sunrise walk in your nearest forest. Forest life (birds, mammals, even reptiles) is most mobile and active during this hour. And even near cities, there is almost zero anthropogenic noise at that time.

What are the most common mistakes people make while trekking that harm the environment, often without realizing it?
“Helping” baby animals and bird fledglings. They are okay, really.

How do you personally minimize your impact when you're out in the wild?
Use motor vehicles as little as possible, don’t use speakers. No littering, which is quite obvious.

What principles or guidelines should be kept in mind while trekking?
Speed is not important; it is crucial to have some pauses to take in the surroundings and breathe it all in. A practical tip – hygienic bandages in your hiking boots help avoid foot blisters, and hygienic tampons are excellent for starting a campfire in wet weather.

How to approach wildlife encounters in a way that respects the animal’s space?
Same answer: Use motor vehicles as little as possible, don’t use speakers. No littering, which is quite obvious.

Do you see the tension between showcasing wild places and the risk of overexposing them to tourism?
In Estonia, I don’t see this as a big issue. What concerns me a lot is the hunting tourism in Estonia. It’s really popular among Westerners. They hunt migrating birds (which are very vulnerable during migration), game animals, and so on. I find such tourism deeply unethical, primitive, and low.

What gear or habits do you recommend for low-impact trekking?
If possible, binoculars to see distant wild animals and birds. A physical plant/bird identifier book, as apps might not work.

Can you share an example of a moment when you felt nature was particularly vulnerable, and how that affected you?
Yes, in 2016, I saw a forest logging site with harvesters. They were making a clear-cut. At the same time, a poor capercaillie hen was confused and scared at the site. This species is declining all across Europe, and one of the main reasons is large-scale industrial forest management. That’s why I’m currently working as a nature conservationist.

Are there specific areas in Estonia (or elsewhere) that you think are especially at risk from human impact?
Yes – old-growth forests with endangered rare species that are not under legal protection. There are thousands of hectares of such sites in Estonia.

In your view, what’s the most powerful way a nature lover can help protect the places they enjoy?
At the moment, it’s bird nesting season, and it’s legally prohibited to harm bird nests. Forest logging is an instant death for a bird family. Despite this, private foresters still cut wood during this vulnerable season. If you discover a logging site before June 30th, please call 1247 (state helpline). They will send an inspector to that particular site.

Do you see hope for the future of our wild spaces, or do you feel we’re at a tipping point?
We are in the middle of a slow degradation of ecosystems. I even remember from my childhood that there were more birds and bees at our summer house. The situation is still reversible, but the lack of ambition and the comfort-driven decision-making by policymakers makes me rather pessimistic.