Diyana Kamaruza's Journal: Finland: Everyman's Right

2012-09-10

Finland: Everyman's Right

Tuesday, 4 September 2012

After back from police station to do an ID card, my FRS (Finland Relocation Service) agent send me back home first. Later she will send my husband to his office at Helsinki. She said that this is the last time we will meet since all the relocation process has been done. I asked her to take a photo together as a memory. She parked the car, and takes a photo with me in front of our apartment.

Red Apple tree in front of the school.

While I walk her to the car, I saw green apple tree but I’m not sure. I asked her, “Is it an apple tree?” She said, “Yes it is an apple tree, there have an apple tree in front of the school”. In front of my apartment there is a school call Komeetan Koulu. This school medium was in English instead of Finnish. Later she said that there is another apple tree. She showed me the red apple tree not far from the green apple tree.

Fresh red apple on branches.

I asked her, “Can I pick it and eat it?” She said, “Of course you can pick it and eat it, it’s an everyman’s right”. She even told me that we can pick berries, mushrooms or flowers in the park but we must very careful not to pick the poisonous. Then she shows me this red berry tree that is called Rowanberry. She said that if one tree is full with Rowanberries during this season it’s a sign that incoming winter will be cold. This year most of the tree was full with Rowanberry, so this winter will be cold. I hope it's not too cold, because this is my first time at Finland and I never experience a cold below -10 degree Celsius before. I heard that in Finland the extreme temperature can hit up to -30 degree Celsius.

Red apple that was picked by me.

Later when I came home, I google about Everman’s Right in Finland. Here is some of the information about it:

Everyone may:

- walk, ski or cycle freely in the countryside, except in gardens, in the immediate vicinity of people’s homes, and in fields and plantations which could easily be damaged

- stay or set up camp temporarily in the countryside, a reasonable distance from homes

- pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers, as long as they are not protected species

- fish with a rod and line

- row, sail or use a motorboat on waterways, with certain restrictions; swim or wash in inland waters and the sea

- walk, ski and fish on frozen lakes, rivers and the sea

You may not:

- disturb other people or damage property

- disturb breeding birds, or their nests or young

- disturb reindeer or game animals

- cut down or damage living trees, or collect wood, moss or lichen on other people’s property

- light open fires on other people’s property, except in an emergency

- disturb the privacy of people’s homes, by camping too near them, or making too much noise, for example leave litter