Is Natura Viva a responsible choice?
Yes!
Natura Viva has always provided services in nature. Future generations should have the same opportunity to unwind, learn, and enjoy new experiences outdoors.
We help people enjoy nature easily, safely, and without leaving a trace. We promote responsible outdoor recreation and want to strengthen people’s relationship with nature, while making diverse nature experiences more accessible to more people.
How does Natura Viva take nature into account in its own operations?
Natura Viva operates on the Baltic Sea coast and in several national parks in Southern Finland. It is important to us that our services are naturally suited to the area, and that we take protected areas and any restrictions related to moving in the area into account.
In national parks, we work together with Metsähallitus on route planning and service design.
We inform our customers about any restrictions that apply to them and guide them to behave responsibly when visiting nature.
Our customers come to spend time in nature – we do not rent motorised equipment. Instead, customers move under their own power, for example with kayaks, fatbikes, and rowing boats.
Our customer service team and guides are experienced outdoor enthusiasts and encourage our visitors to act responsibly.
We recycle our waste appropriately and hope our customers do the same.
Does Natura Viva promote responsible consumption?
We want to promote circular-economy thinking in outdoor recreation. Even though many sports and outdoor activities could be described as “gear sports”, you don’t need to own all the equipment yourself.
With Natura Viva’s season pass concept, people living in the Helsinki metropolitan area or elsewhere in Southern Finland don’t need to buy their own outdoor equipment. Instead, the season pass holder can use our equipment at Natura Viva locations, depending on the pass. Natura Viva takes care of storing, maintaining, and renewing the equipment, leaving the season pass holder with more time for the hobby itself.
Shared-use equipment reduces the need for ownership and the resulting overconsumption of resources. Developing local outdoor opportunities also encourages nearby travel and reduces the need to move from place to place in search of new experiences.
Natura Viva’s locations and season-pass paddling points in the Helsinki metropolitan area are located along good public transport connections. We therefore recommend arriving at our locations by public transport whenever possible.
How does Natura Viva monitor the implementation of its sustainability work?
Natura Viva has certified its own sustainability work since 2020 and holds the Biosphere sustainability certification. In addition to the certification, Natura Viva has been awarded the Sustainable Travel Finland label.
Read more about the topic here.
Taking nature into account
How do I enjoy the outdoors responsibly at Natura Viva locations?
A responsible outdoor visitor always takes their surroundings, local nature, and other visitors into account. They also follow any guidelines and prohibitions that help us protect nature and improve outdoor safety.
Always read the service-specific instructions we send you. We focus on safety and considerate behaviour in them.
Natura Viva’s customer service team and guides can tell you about good practices and possible restrictions.
Always take your rubbish with you and recycle it correctly.
Make sure there are no wildfire warnings in effect before making an open fire.
Prefer existing marked routes. For example, Natura Viva’s fatbike routes in national parks have been planned together with Metsähallitus.
Familiarise yourself with Metsähallitus’s outdoor etiquette and other guidance that applies to the area you are visiting.
If needed, report any shortcomings or other notable issues to Natura Viva.
Equipment and purchasing
What is the lifecycle of the equipment Natura Viva purchases?
For Natura Viva, it is extremely important that the equipment used for rentals and trips is high-quality and in good condition. We aim to ensure that purchased equipment is used regularly.
A single kayak might be used in the morning by a season-pass holder for self-guided paddling, in the afternoon by a guide for a corporate event, and in the evening a course participant might practise a tandem rescue with it on a beginner course.
Because the equipment is used frequently, we service it, inspect it, and wash it regularly with fresh water.
After the equipment has been in Natura Viva’s use for about three years, we sell it second-hand so it can get a new life, even though we let it go. We purchase our equipment from long-term partners and, whenever possible, we favour manufacturers whose quality we have proven to be excellent in real use.
How often do you service your equipment?
The good condition of equipment directly affects safety, which is why we follow a weekly maintenance schedule that is created for the entire summer at a time. There are many different maintenance tasks, and the schedule helps ensure that all equipment is checked several times during the summer.
Kayak and SUP paddles are washed with fresh water.
Kayak screws are checked regularly.
Loose deck bungees are tightened.
PFDs are rinsed with fresh water and, when needed, washed indoors using environmentally friendly detergents.
Bikes are checked, washed, and chains are oiled.
SUP board air pressure is checked.
If we find a fault that prevents an item from being used, we block it from reservations until it is ready for use. We also ask our customers to report any faults they notice.
Accommodation
How does sustainability show in Natura Viva’s accommodation locations?
Natura Viva’s accommodations are traditional cabin stays in Nuuksio National Park, Fiskars, and Teijo National Park. The cabins are located in the middle of nature, in peaceful surroundings. People come to the cabins to enjoy nature, swim, use the sauna, and spend time with friends and loved ones. When offering accommodation in the middle of nature and in protected areas, it is our top priority that the service fits its environment and that we do not create unnecessary pressure on nature.
Our services are built on existing infrastructure – the cabins in Teijo and Nuuksio National Parks are buildings owned by Metsähallitus, which we have further renovated to suit accommodation needs.
Our accommodations consume only a small amount of resources – the wilderness cabins in Nuuksio have no electricity, and water is carried from the lake. The cabins in Nuuksio and Teijo National Parks are mainly heated with wood-burning stoves. Myllyjärvi cottage in Fiskars is heated with a fireplace and electric radiators.
We buy firewood from local businesses.
We provide visitors with comprehensive instructions for responsible behaviour at our accommodations. Customers must take care of their own waste and follow the principles of litter-free hiking.
What should guests keep in mind during their stay and when moving in nature?
As a guest, you should follow the principles of litter-free hiking and take your own waste with you when leaving the accommodation.
Behave respectfully towards both nature and other people enjoying the outdoors.
Dog owners must ensure dogs are always kept on a leash in national park areas.
Save resources whenever possible. We monitor firewood consumption and, if needed, communicate to customers about its responsible use.
Safety
With Natura Viva’s services, people get to move in nature in many different ways – easily and safely. Safety is built on solid, broad professional expertise, high-quality equipment and gear, and comprehensive communication.
How does Natura Viva ensure the safety of its operations for both customers and employees?
Safety is the sum of many things, and it appears differently depending on the service. Water sports such as paddling always have their own risks, and in our operations we aim to minimise them, for example in the following ways:
Natura Viva’s paddling guides are trained paddling instructors and professionals in their field. In addition to an instructor qualification, anyone working as a guide must have a valid first-aid course certificate.
At staffed locations, a customer renting water-sports equipment receives guidance that matches their skill level before using the equipment: we go through the gear, paddling weather, a possible route, and the most important basic techniques. At self-service locations, instructions are included with the booking confirmation and available at the rental point.
Anyone using our water-sports equipment must always wear a PFD, and our equipment must not be rented while under the influence of intoxicants.
Natura Viva has prepared the necessary safety plans for every location where we provide services.
Guides running guided events always carry a tow line, a spare paddle, a first-aid kit, a map of the area, a safety plan, and spare clothes.
Bike rentals and bike trips always include a helmet, and wearing it is mandatory.
Can an inexperienced customer use your services safely?
Yes. Our customer service team is happy to help with any questions, and we do not make assumptions about anyone’s starting level. A safe experience for an inexperienced customer is built from many things:
In our service-specific content, we tell who the service is primarily suitable for.
At staffed locations, we instruct renters on how to use the service and discuss previous experience. With kayak renters, we go through the weather and its possible impact on route planning, and what to do in case of capsizing.
At self-service locations, instructions are included with the booking confirmation and available at the rental point.
Season-pass holders and rental customers receive safety instructions as an attachment to the booking message, including all necessary phone numbers for emergencies.
On guided trips and courses, guides are always responsible for the group’s safety and plan the programme based on the group’s starting level.
Natura Viva may cancel a customer’s booking if the service cannot be provided safely, for example due to weather.