Syöte

Syöte National Park was established in 2000 in north-eastern Finland, between the regions of North Ostrobothnia and Lapland, joining several previously protected areas. At 299 km² it protects what is usually described as the most southerly fell area in the country, a transition between the forests of central Finland and the open landscapes of the north.

The park does not form a continuous patch but a set of sectors scattered across the region, which reflects its origin as the sum of pre-existing areas. In them survive some of the oldest and best-structured spruce forests at this latitude, with abundant standing and fallen deadwood, a key resource for wood-boring insects, fungi and specialised forest birds. Between the wooded blocks extend aapa mires and clear streams.

Tykky, the load of snow and ice on the spruces, is a characteristic feature of winter here too, and the park is an established destination for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, with the Syöte resort immediately beside it. The wildlife includes large carnivores, resident or passing through, such as brown bear, wolf and wolverine, and an old-forest bird community with woodpeckers and forest raptors. Its history is tied to timber operations and to the culture of the loggers, still visible in huts and traditional buildings.