Our Biosphere Reserve
The Archipelago Sea biosphere reserve was established in 1994 and consists of the Archipelago Sea National Park and the parts of the archipelago that belong to the town of Pargas and the municipality of Kimitoön. This means the islands of Houtskär, Korpo, Nagu and Iniö as a whole, and parts of Pargas, Dragsfjärd, Västanfjärd and Kimito.
The biosphere reserve has more than 3400 inhabitants, of which about 360 live on smaller islands without a road ferry. The population is mainly Swedish-speaking, and the average age is relatively high, compared to the rest of the country. There are many part-time inhabitants in the area, and it is becoming more common to use the well-equipped holiday home as a second home. Tourism has doubled since the turn of the millennium and is steadily increasing.
THE THREE FUNCTIONS OF THE BIOSPHERE RESERVE
All biosphere reserves of the world must fulfil three functions; preserve, develop and support the area in which they operate. Below is an overview of how we work within the Archipelago Biosphere Reserve. Choose “What we do” to get more information about our activities in practice!
Preserve
The biosphere reserve strives to preserve the cultural heritage of the archipelago, the diversity of nature, traditional cultural landscapes, and a healthy Archipelago Sea. A large part of the protected natural areas belong to the national park, but we also strive to preserve other areas as attractive places for living and recreation. The managing of cultural landscapes, and thus the preservation of biodiversity, is an example of activities that support both ecological and economical values. By promoting communication between universities, policy makers and local residents, we want to popularize and more effectively disseminate research on the marine flora and fauna of the Archipelago Sea.
Develop
We implement development projects that promote year-round settlement, employment, sustainable tourism and innovations and circular economy. We work for an ecologically, economically and socially sustainable development of the communities of the archipelago, where job opportunities and attractive housing are important factors. Both tourism and the food industry create new employment opportunities in the archipelago. We work for CO2 and nutrient neutral municipalities. The biosphere reserve acts as a catalyst for various development projects by bringing together people, organizations, ideas, knowledge and funding. The projects are run by various partners in the biosphere reserve, as part of the biosphere reserve’s activities.
Support
The biosphere reserve conveys knowledge, good experience and contacts, and wants to inspire all that live and works in the Archipelago Sea to find their role in a sustainable social progress. We create and maintain networks and tools for research, education and information. We offer a neutral arena on what sustainable development is all about. This includes environmental and cultural education for children and young people, compilation of popular science information material, investigations or research projects in collaboration with the universities, discussion opportunities on current issues and dissemination of information through seminars.
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