Nowadays the openness of coastal meadows is threatened by eutrophication and lack of maintenance, which lead to brush claiming the landscape, overgrowth and a decline in biodiversity. On Ruissalo, the coastal meadow located between the cycling road leading to Kansanpuisto and the shore is a representative Finnish coastal meadow – the plant species found there include downy oat-grass, common bent, yarrow, brown knapweed, lady’s bedstraw, upright bedstraw and ground ivy. This coastal meadow has been maintained by grazing since 1995.

Expansive, shallow bays are valuable and protected habitats. Krottilanlahti and Härkälahti in the southern part of Ruissalo are typical examples of such shallow sea bays, which are unaffected by fresh river water and ocean currents. These bays have soft bottoms and their shorelines are lined with reeds. Natural shallow bays feature a rich and diverse range of bottom flora and fauna. Because of this, these types of bays are also valuable from the perspective of bird species. The best way to discover Krottilanlahti is to visit the bird watching tower located on its shore.

A white-tailed eagle chick / Photo: E. Kosonen

The development of the annual number of white-tailed eagle chicks 1970–2016 / Source: https://wwf.fi/elainlajit/merikotka/

The white-tailed eagle was nearly driven to extinction in Finland due to persecution and environmental toxins. In the mid-1970s, only four white-tailed eagle chicks are known to have hatched in Finland. Thanks to conservation efforts, the annual number of chicks has since risen to 400–500, meaning a hundredfold increase! The species’ range covers the entire Finnish coast and archipelago. In recent years, white-tailed eagles have also spread inland to the largest lakes. White-tailed eagles feed on fish, bird chicks and anseriformes. Some of them have also learned to hunt great cormorant chicks.