The objective of OP Financial Group's sustainability programme is to promote biodiversity and the wellbeing of nature. In addition to work by OP Financial Group itself and its customers, various types of cooperation with the third sector will promote biodiversity. The Natural Heritage Foundation uses OP Financial Group’s donation of 78,000 euros to restore and protect mires, and through that, to expand the bird habitats.
“The donation to the Natural Heritage Foundation helps preserve natural mires around Finland, which supports the ecosystem and nature’s carrying capacity. The wellbeing of Finnish nature is important, but you should also remember that a sustainable economy is strongly dependent on nature,” says Timo Ritakallio, OP Financial Group’s President and Group Chief Executive Officer.
According to the Natural Heritage Foundation, mires are a habitat for many endangered plant and animal species that you cannot find in other habitats. The restoration of mires to their natural state revives many endangered populations, in addition to which the preservation of mires significantly reduces the amount of nutrient and climate emissions. This donation will help restore part of the Piurukkaneva area in North Ostrobothnia back to its natural state of a puddled open mire and improve the natural state of the Keidas conservation area in Satakunta. An extensive project to restore mire habitats in Lapland has also been launched.
“We work for the greater good, and as we receive more support, we at the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation will work even harder to protect the endangered forests, mires and other important natural areas. There will be many more exciting news stories about protection this autumn, so stay tuned and make a donation to the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation,” comments Pepe Forsberg, the Managing Director at the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation.