PHOTO CHRONICLE
 

This Photo Chronicle documents the partecipation of the Apuan Alps Geopark in the 36th EGN Coordination Committee Meeting and 13th European Geoparks Conference. The two linked events were held in Rokua Geopark and Oulu University (Finland), from 1st to 5th September 2015.
The following photos are by Antonio Bartelletti, Giuseppe Ottria, Erdal Gumus and other friends of the European Geoparks.
 

Tuesday 01.09.2015

Immediate impact with the nordic landscape. The garden of the Rokua Hotel shows a typical coniferous forest.

Tuesday 01.09.2015

Ahveroinen is a little lake of the glacial erosion formed around 10-11,000 years ago, when this area was a glacial bay at the margin of the continental ice sheet. 

Tuesday 01.09.2015

The Mayor of Vaala, Tytti Määttä, greets the partecipants to EGN Coordination Committee Meeting in Vaala School Centre.

Tuesday 01.09.2015

The School music room invites strongly this guest (star) to play the steel guitar.

Wednesday 02.09.2015

First Meeting day.
The representatives of the 65 European Geoparks participate to 36th Coordination Committee of the European Geoparks Network.

Wednesday 02.09.2015

Nikolas Zouros (EGN Coordinator) and Kristen Rangnes (EGN Vice Coordinator) sit at the chairman's table, together with Vesa Krökki (Executive Director of the Rokua Geopark).
 

Wednesday 02.09.2015

The Apuan Alps delegation is in its entirety.
From left to right: Alessia Amorfini (Geopark Manager), Antonio Bartelletti (Director), Giuseppe Ottria (Scientific Management Committee Coordinator).
 

Wednesday 02.09.2015

The afternoon is a perfect time to walk around the Ahveroinen Lake. A uniform forest of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) covers its banks.

Wednesday 02.09.2015

The ground layer consists of white lichens and green mosses.
In Finland, Rokua is a good example of a lichen-covered dry soil that grows outside the reindeer management areas.

Wednesday 02.09.2015

Not only lichens and mosses in the undergrowth, but also lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea).

Wednesday 02.09.2015

Some plants of cotton grass (Eriophorum sp.) show their last bloom on the lake shore.

Wednesday 02.09.2015

Kyösti Juujärvi, Mayor of Utajärvi, welcomes the European Geoparks representatives in Merilän Kartano: since 1887, the first and one of the most important tourist destinations of Finland.

Thursday 03.09.2015

European Geoparks Conference is hosted in Oulu University, the second best centre of advanced studies in Finland, having an excellent international reputation in research and teaching.

Thursday 03.09.2015

Opening Ceremony of the Conference in the Saalasti Hall. The programme of the morning is dedicated to welcoming greetings and keynotes.

Thursday 03.09.2015

The chairman's table of the Conference: Nickolas Zourus (EGN Coordinator), Samuli Pohjamo (Council of Oulu Region), Pirkko Mattila (Finnish Parliament), Keijo Nenonen (Finland Geological Survey).

Thursday 03.09.2015

Nickolas Zourus (EGN Coordinator) presents the keynote: "GGN: from the voluntary network to the international association".

Thursday 03.09.2015

Vaala Children and Youth Choir sing a traditional finnish song and "Imagine" by John Lennon.

Thursday 03.09.2015

The afternoon is dedicated to the theme presentations.
In a university classroom, Alessia Amorfini addresses the topic "The agri-geological landscape in terraces between crop abandonment and hydrogeological instability", written by herself with Antonio Bartelletti and Giuseppe Ottria.

Thursday 03.09.2015

The first long shadows of the nordic evening slowly darken the Oulu City Hall.

Friday 04.09.2015

The River Oulujoki Valley is one of the proposed field trips. Typical agricultural landscapes, steep rocky cliffs and dense coniferous forests coexist along the river banks.

Friday 04.09.2015

In Liimanninkoski Rapids, the water of the Muhosjoki River is brown, due to the acid residues of the many peat bogs located in this area.

Friday 04.09.2015

Along this first trail, the Geopark Guide proposes several experiences of environmental education. In the picture, Giuseppe and Alessia perform an exercise of orienteering with blindfolded eyes.

Friday 04.09.2015

Here, the Muhosjoki River eroded 25 metres of the sandy deposits reaching the old bedrock. The granite, crystallised 1,800 million years ago, outcrops at the valley bottom.

Friday 04.09.2015

This educational trail starts and ends within a farm specialized in the sheep breeding.

Friday 04.09.2015

The field trip continues with the visit to Utajärvi School Centre, attending by 420 pupils with 45 staff members.

Friday 04.09.2015

The same town hosts a special open air Museum.
Utajärvi Geological Time Trail presents the varieties of the Finnish bedrock showing 50 large rock samples along 90 metres long path.

Friday 04.09.2015

Alessia Amorfini is near to the oldest rock in Finland and therefore in Europe. It is called Siurua Gneiss and it dates back to 3,500 millions years.

Friday 04.09.2015

The field trip proposes another trail. Lemmenpolku guided tour is about a two kilometres long nature path, following the right bank of the Oulujoki River.

Friday 04.09.2015

This panel - created by the Finland Geological Survey - explains the formation, composition and local outcrop of the Pyhäkoski granite.

Friday 04.09.2015

This red granite is exposed along the steep rocky banks of the Oulujoki River.
 

Friday 04.09.2015

Outcrop of an conglomerate with granite and schist pebbles. This rock represents the sedimentary deposit of the old shoreline, formed 1,200-600 millions years ago.

Friday 04.09.2015

The river flows slowly and the sky is reflected on the water surface.

Friday 04.09.2015

In this northern area of the Rokua Geopark, the tree cover is a monospecific forest of Norway spruce (Picea abies).

Friday 04.09.2015

Along the trails everyone can admire on the ground layer the Bristly clubmoss (Lycopodium annotinum) and other typical plants.

Friday 04.09.2015

Further surprise is a rare variety of fly agaric (Amanita muscaria var. aureola).

Friday 04.09.2015

The second trail ends in Montta Active Camping: the most important non-hotel accommodation of the Rokua Geopark.

 

Friday 04.09.2015

Last stage of the field trip is the Muhos town, at the confluence of the Oulujoki and Muhosjoki Rivers.

Friday 04.09.2015

Muhos Church is the oldest wooden church in Finland. It was completed in 1634 and nowadays conserves its original shape.

Saturday 05.09.2015

A huge engraved red granite sphere is located at the entrance of the Oulu University Library. This masterpiece (1992) by Matti Peltokangas, finnish sculptur, represents the world in its material and cultural unitariness. The title of the artwork - "the uniting rays" - invites everyone to live a joyful life with other people.

Saturday 05.09.2015

Back to the Conference. Giuseppe Ottria explains his favorite topic: "Traces of geology in wines: new insight from the Apuan Alps Geopark". Alessia Amorfini and Antonio Bartelletti team up with him. 

Saturday 05.09.2015

An image of the Poster Session inside the Central Hall of  Oulu University.

Saturday 05.09.2015

Closing Ceremony in Rokua Hotel. The European Coordinators announce the successful outcome of the Apuan Alps Geopark Revalidation.  

Saturday 05.09.2015

The Pollino National Park is admitted to the European Geoparks Network. 

Saturday 05.09.2015

Farewell Concert in Rokua Hotel with the music by Utajärvi Brass Band and the voice of Tuuli Okkonen.

Saturday 05.09.2015

Final souvenir picture of the Italian Geoparks representatives with some European colleagues (Zouros, Rangnes, Klepp, Ramsay, Schueller).

Sunday 06.09.2015

We have hit the target once again... despite everything...

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