Baltic Sea ESC VolTeamTallinn Estonia 13.-28.8.26

Baltic Sea ESC Vol Team Tallinn 

This volunteering team takes place in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Host organisation EstYES has long experience in organising local and international  volunteering projects. 

This team is organised in cooperation with Tallinn City Nature Conservation Department. The main tasks will be dedicated to the restoration of Pääsküla Bog and cleaning of seaside areas in Tallinn. These are important elements of overall water ecosystem of Tallinn.

The main task involves clearing brushwood in  Pääsküla Bog.  The Tallinn City Nature Conservation Department will  provide the necessary tools and on-site training; the work is carried out using hand tools.

The goal of restoring the bog ecosystems of Pääsküla Bog is to preserve and restore the bog’s environmental conditions and natural communities to the extent that this is still possible. The condition of the bog has deteriorated due to drainage, fires, and afforestation. Because of fires, a dense stand of young pine trees has developed in the area, gradually transforming the bog into a forest community of low ecological value.

Restoration of the bog ecosystems in the Pääsküla Bog Nature Reserve began in 2022.  Young pine saplings have been removed through volunteer work, and approximately 20 weirs have been built  to prevent water from draining away and to improve the area’s moisture regime. In addition to building weirs, young pine saplings are to be removed , as they consume large amounts of water, contributing to the drying out of the bog.

In addition, there will be some tasks on the coastal meadow in the Paljassaare Nature Reserve, located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, where restoration and maintenance is currently going on, and on Mustjõe coastal meadow near Stroomi Beach to prepare it for future restoration works.

Work

The team will cut down and remove young pine trees from the bog restoration area. This work supports the restoration of bog ecosystems and is guided by the objectives in the management plan for the Pääsküla Bog Nature Reserve. Likewise, all standing and fallen dead old trees will be left in place and will not be removed from the site. The cut wood will be carried from the logging site to a place where the City workers will take care of it.

In addition, there will be a work on the coastal meadow in the Paljassaare Nature Reserve, located on the shores of the Baltic Sea. This meadow where Scottish Highland cattle graze is undergoing restoration and maintenance, Decades ago, the Soviet Navy brought old tires to the meadow, using them for training sailors. Unfortunately, these 100+ tires are still there. They need to be retrieved from among the tufts of grass and rolled to the side of the gravel road so that the city can take care of disposing them.

Another task could be to clear the section of the Mustjõe coastal meadow near Stroomi Beach and prepare it for restoration work.

Following the main focus of the project we could also organise info event and a workshop on waste management with ideas how to reduce, reuse, and recycle instead of throwing away. Volunteers are welcome to share their ideas on sustainability and learn from practices in other countries.

Volunteers can learn more on Baltic Sea by participating in Baltic Sea Day Event on the 27th of August at Pikakari Beach where there will be a beach cleanup and an environmental hike.

The volunteering team will stay in shared accommodation  in a sports hall with basic cooking facilities (kettle, refrigerator, microwave) provided. The sports hall is located in a suburb of Tallinn called Nõmme.  Sleeping mats will be available at the sports hall; participants should bring their own sleeping bags. There are also shower facilities, gym, and sauna. Meals will be provided as lunch packs, catering or eating out depending on the day. Breakfasts will be organised at the accommodation.