Relation between mires and Estonians - From Disdain to Adoration

Historically bogs have been looked upon as ugly, useless, dangerous and therefore unwanted (except for fuel). But this view on peatlands has slowly changed in the public mind. But how and why?

In the presentation, Piret Pungas Kohv will briefly discuss the cultural history of wetlands in Estonia, focusing on the relationship between people and the mires through heritage, institutionalization and more notable events that have shaped the relationship over the past 150 years. She will give a brief overview of the changing attitude towards mires in Estonia, using three main "steps" of development, presenting the connection through traditional, industrial and ecological approaches. Estonian Fund for Nature

Piret Pungas-Kohv is a cultural geographer. In 2015, she completed my doctoral thesis at the University of Tartu, focusing on heritage maintenance processes, with Estonian mires as a key example. That year, the European Commission's LIFE program funded the LIFE Mires Estonia project, where she began working at the Estonian Fund for Nature as an environmental awareness expert. Piret developed educational materials targeting diverse groups to raise awareness about wetlands and their restoration, while also exploring representations of Estonian mires in literature. Although the LIFE Mires Estonia project has ended, wetland restoration efforts in Pärnumaa continue under the WaterLANDS project. At the center of these endeavors, family, dancing and gardening also want her attention.

This presentation is part of the exhibition Down in the Bog: Hibernation at Tromsø Kunstforening / Romssa Dáiddasiida.

Moderated by Karolin Tampere.

Language: English