Imatra's nature trails are in good condition - the level of service is improving

Every spring the cleaning of the paths is coming to an end. The city's landscape maintenance team has tidied up the paths and renovated the checkmarks.

As a novelty this year, a QR code that can be read with a smartphone has been added to each tick, which opens the introduction to the nature trail. The brochures prepared by biologists Hannu and Leena Aarnio have a map of the trail, pictures and plenty of information about the nature of the trail and the specialties of the area. The information content of the nature trails has also been updated.

For Hannu and Leena Aarnio, making nature trails has been a matter of the heart.

- The update and digital age is positive. Even in winter time, you can reminisce about the past and plan future nature trail trips, for example, from the comfort of your home sofa.

We want to spread information about Imatra's nature trails better than before.

- Not everyone knows about these great trails yet. It may be a surprise to many how diverse nature is in Imatra right in the middle of the city, says the city's forestry engineer Matti Luostarinen.

Sami Käkränen from Imatra goes through the nature trails during the summer and shoots a short video of each trail. Sam's videos appear on social media channels of the city of Imatra. Käkränen challenges all Imatra residents and visitors to the city to experience Imatra's nature up close. 

Nature trails require not only regular maintenance, but also development.

- In the future, decisions must be made, among other things, about updating the path of the Ivonniemi nature trail and the Kruununpuisto nature reserve and the way of marking the terrain. There is even a plan to combine the paths of e.g. Imatrankoski into a nature and culture trail that would cover Kruununpuisto, Ivonniemi, Patopuisto with its urban streams and Vuoksine, etc. ML/AS, Luostarinen reflects