A new train line proposed to speed travel time from Helsinki to Turku would have a major impact on the city of Espoo, a few miles west of Helsinki across the bay. The development, estimated to cost about €2 billion, would widen a two-track route to four tracks, one for express trains, the other for local traffic. It would also entail the construction of a new train station in Mynttilä Forest.

Many residents of Espoo and neighboring municipalities strongly oppose the plan. They claim it would threaten their homes, damage the environment, and cause major long-term disruptions. They also point out that the time saved by the proposed improvement would be only about half an hour.

Among the most vocal opponents have been students at Otaniemi, a progressive secondary school in Espoo. They have not only protested the rail line, they have also immersed themselves in exactly what would be lost if it is built. With their biology and geography teacher, Kirsi Haapamäki, they studied the flora and fauna of the endangered area and how the proposed development would affect it.

Our Earth Exchange took place on a Friday afternoon after school hours, but even so, about fifteen students participated voluntarily, accompanied by Kirsi and another science teacher. The forest was beautiful. Dense, and healthy, it had a mix of evergreens and hardwood trees, including pine, spruce, rowan, alder, and birch. Moss and ferns carpeted the ground. We stopped at the area of the forest where the train station would be built. Sitting in a rough circle on the ground, we talked about the threat to the forest. The students described what they had learned about the ecology and how it would be damaged.

Then everyone set off in separate directions to spend time getting to know the place. Several students got so absorbed in their explorations that it was later than expected when they returned and we met again. Several shared stories about what they had noticed on their walks: right angles, the different shades of green in the forest, a high view of the place from a branch of the tree they’d climbed, the softness of the moss.

One boy talked about his cat, who was ill, and how his worry about possibly losing his cat corresponded to his fear of losing the forest. He found a small plant that spoke to him about diverse future options in the lives of the cat, the forest, and himself. A girl spoke about the orienteering studies she had done and her regret that her former fascination with the wilderness had recently been tainted by her fear of being in forests. She said that the exploration we were taking as a group gave her confidence and courage to return to the forests she so loved.

As the site of the RadJoy Bird, we chose a large oblong rock close to where we were sitting. Everyone contributed to the making of this gift for the forest.

We concluded by talking about how important it is for these young people, most of whom plan a career in the sciences, to maintain their emotional and aesthetic relationship with nature. That connection will not only sustain their commitment to their work, it will also bring inspiration, empowerment in times of success, and consolation when a place or a species they care about is lost.

Then we took a long hike through the forest, visiting places where the train tunnel would be constructed and a bog, a nature conservation area threatened by a railroad bridge.