Keijukaispuisto’s forest is local nature that must not be felled — the nearby school and nursery use it almost daily, and there is no equivalent replacement area in the vicinity.
What is happening in Keijukaispuisto?
Kirkkonummi’s zoning programme includes a project card called Keijukaispuisto (Fairy Park). The area is located between Laajakallio School and the rug-washing jetty. The project card justifies construction of the area with the phrases “The park’s use for recreation is minimal” and “Good outdoor and recreational opportunities exist in the vicinity of the area.” However, this small and seemingly harmless zoning area is more significant than its size suggests.
Why is this particular forest especially valuable?
Laajakallio School and kindergarten go on excursions to the forest almost daily. A nature trail and an outdoor classroom have also been built in the forest. It is wonderful that the kindergarten and school are able to introduce children to nature and the plants growing there. Laajakallio kindergarten is also specialised in environmental education. I have visited the nature trail with my family, and the children find it very interesting. I would therefore argue that the park’s use is not minimal at all.
In the Laajakallio area generally, almost all forested areas have been cleared, particularly on the eastern side of the rock, where Keijukaispuisto is also located. Although the Heikkilä area’s forests are relatively close, a great deal of residential construction has been zoned there for the coming years, and it is unlikely that any significant forest will remain there either. Yet no other forest is as accessible to the school and kindergarten, or could replace the current one.
Does every forest have to be felled?
Kirkkonummi is a large municipality by area. While it makes sense to build housing along good transport links, such as the railway line, that does not mean every forest needs to be felled. In surveys of residents, local nature and forests repeatedly emerge as one of our greatest attractions. What if we made sure that local nature is also available in the future?
This data cannot be kept separate from zoning decisions. If local nature is the reason people choose Kirkkonummi, it is consistent to protect it even when an individual project seems small. A felled forest does not grow back for decades. A patch the size of Keijukaispuisto may feel marginal, but it is part of a larger picture: what kind of municipality do we want to be?
I have written more about local nature and planning: our nature is our trump card year after year and the need for a vibrant centre for a growing municipality .
Published in Kirkkonummen Sanomat on 19 May 2022.
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