Wild Herb walk

Quiet walk in the Forssa national urban park to give you information and guidance in your wild herb search and to tell you more about the different uses of these plants. Unique milieu of Loimijoki riverside, green parks and old buildings will give you unforgettable experience. The route is just a couple of kilometers, but en route we will find many wild herbs to learn and lot of beautiful natural spots to feel. Herbal walks place can change, so if you are interested of this service, please call us and make sure about the place to be.

“A green shirt flashes through the willow branches. I can hear the sounds of silent splashing and scuffle. I press myself lower in the underbrush, behind the willow tree. I move my foot; it slips down into an underwater dent and I suddenly have water up to my knee. A muskrat hole. The hem of my skirt gets soaked. Grandma thinks girls should wear skirts but this is why one shouldn’t wear shoes. One pair of wellies has already been lost in the muskrat’s clutches. The sedges and mud under bare feet feel cold. Suddenly someone smacks into me from behind. I fall face first into the water. I hear the taunts and ‘neener’ from behind me as I spit peat out of my mouth. Dammit. Next time I must be careful and move more quietly. My clothes are soaked but it doesn’t matter. We climb on top of the boulders on the shore which are spotted with seagull droppings to sit and dry our clothes. Chatting and planning the next make-believe games. The large spruce trees in the shoreline forests seem tempting. We decide to climb as high up as we can. Lets go! Bare toes are the best for climbing; the resin is easier to wash off from your heels than your shirt. The rough bark crunches nicely and feels warm after the cool lake water. The birds escape from the trees; a squirrel scuttles further away from us. Grandma treads the yard down below.

The branches create a green, leafy haven. A secret hideout. Here we are safe from everything; friends together. Blue sky glints beyond the foliage. Birds soar through the wide blue expanse; it calls to us too. We climb higher and not a single thought is spared for how we’re to climb back down. It’s not important. There’s always a way down; that much we’ve learned. Only the way up is what matters. The goal. The dream.”

This is probably where it all started, the summers spent at grandma’s, who knows? Studies, as well as common sense, tell us that the nature relationship one has as a child has positive effects also later in life. Nature gives a sense of importance, strength and wellbeing. Nature amazes, time after time, with its incredible diversity. I became a wilderness guide and nature teacher. I love this experience guide job i have now been doing eight years. I love to show others what nature can be and what it means to me and all of us.

Almost anyone can be part of this experience, because we are walking in the middle of city mainly along the park roads. Just be ready for the Finnish summer weather, which can be unpredictable.