The aim of the project is to create a youth-led planetary garden to grow food crops and learn about sustainable living in a community-based way, working within the planetary boundaries and respecting biodiversity. Working together brings meaningfulness and hope in these changing times. The well-being of the mind and a deepening relationship with nature are also important objectives of the project, which will also be approached through a variety of art-based methods. During the project, a field station for multifaceted and multi-disciplinary sustainability work will be built on the site.
The idea of a planetary garden is that our entire planet should be cared for and protected like a garden. The concept, by French architect Gilles Clément, emphasises the human responsibility to maintain and protect the Earth’s ecosystems in a sustainable way, valuing diversity and minimising damage to species in an ecological food production. A planetary garden values multi-species coexistence. In a planetary garden, it is up to humans to learn to live in harmony (or perhaps more realistically, more harmoniously) with nature, to appreciate the ecosystem in all its diversity, and to act as gardeners and guardians. The guiding philosophy of the planetary garden is based on the principle of the “garden in motion”: do as much as possible for it and as little as possible against it. The ultimate goal of a planetary garden is to harness and support diversity and ensure the existence of the garden – and therefore the gardener.
As far as we know, there is no other planetary garden in Finland. Kirsi Haapamäki introduced the concept to Sofia Laine, and together with the young people of Otaniemi High School they set out to build a field station for science, art and young people to be and act together in northern Espoo in autumn 2024. During the autumn, young people, students and professionals from different fields (especially researchers, artists, psychologists and nature guides) visited the place in order to plan activities for 2025.
The construction of the Planetary Garden field station is one of the sub-projects of the Planetary Youth Research Programme, which is primarily carried out with young people and professionals working with young people. In addition to cultivating self-sufficiency, circular economy and sense of fairness, the Planetary Garden field station will develop and use art-based and embodied methods to address the sustainability crisis and support living in ecocrisis.
Funding of the sub-project
The project received several operating grants between April and May 2025:
- City of Espoo: Experiments in climate participation: the Youth Research Association was granted €5,000 to establishment of a planetary garden and various theme days (1.6.-31.10.2025)
- City of Espoo: Experiments in climate participation: the Cooperative Osuuskunta Luonto&Keruu was granted €2549,80 for guided mushroom excursions that also use the garden (1. 6.-31.10.2025)
- ChangeX / Microsoft: young people from Otaniemi High School and teacher Kirsi Haapamäki applied for a Planetary Garden for high school students, which was awarded €5,000. Project site (in Finnish): Planetaarinen puutarha lukiolaisille
- ChangeX / Microsoft: Cooperative Luonto & Keruu was awarded €5,000 for a wild herb workshop, a mushroom expedition and a wickerwork workshop using the garden.
The project is partly implemented with a general grant from the Ministry of Education and Culture.
- Start year:
- 2024
- End year:
- 2030
Project Director
Sofia Laine
PhD, title of docent in Youth Research (University of Tampere)
Research Professor
+358 44 416 5374
sofia.laine@youthresearch.fi
Project Researchers
Sofia Laine
PhD, title of docent in Youth Research (University of Tampere)
Research Professor
+358 44 416 5374
sofia.laine@youthresearch.fi