On June 18, 2025, Aveliina Helm, leader of our Centre of Excellence Landscape Biodiversity Group and Professor of Restoration Ecology at University of Tartu, was a guest on the talk show “Esimene stuudio”.
On June 18, 2025, Aveliina Helm, leader of our Centre of Excellence Landscape Biodiversity Group and Professor of Restoration Ecology at University of Tartu, was a guest on the talk show “Esimene stuudio”.
In the interview, Aveliina spoke about the need for an Estonian climate law and nature conservation, the limits of science-based policymaking, the public’s low readiness for environmental change, and the importance of restoring nature to ensure coexistence between humans and ecosystems.
Some interesting thoughts from the discussion:
We should think about how to integrate the necessary energy solutions more into Estonia’s everyday landscapes, including agricultural areas, as is successfully done elsewhere in Europe. We have the space to accept energy solutions closer to ourselves rather than forcing them into natural areas.
Nature conservation is about meeting the minimal needs required for nature to function. This means Estonia must have enough protected areas and well-preserved habitats for its 40,000 species to ensure that ecosystems can operate properly.
When talking about nature restoration, we are not trying to turn back time but rather remove the harmful factors that prevent nature from recovering on its own.
We must reach 30 percent of protected areas in Estonia so that there is a secure part of the landscape dedicated to nature for the future.
Watch the full interview here: https://jupiter.err.ee/1609714787/esimene-stuudio