Meeting Nature's Challenge

Finland is the first country in the world to have dedicated a day for Nature. It has been celebrated annually on the last Saturday of August since 2013.

The official purpose of Nature Day is to increase public appreciation and connection with nature, promote its importance to Finnish culture, and encourage spending time outdoors. Frankly, Finns do not need much encouragement to be outdoors and enjoy our proximity to nature that surrounds us.

So yesterday, with the spirit of the occasion in mind, I walked to our boat harbor to meet my son and one of our granddaughters. We had decided to spend the afternoon at our summerhouse, do a few chores, and grill some hamburgers. The cottage is on an island outside of Helsinki, normally a 20-minute ride on our five-meter boat. The sky was gray and the air very misty. It was not raining, but it felt almost like we were in a cloud. Luckily, there was no wind, and the sea was very calm.

Four hours later, it was time to head back home. We had expected the mist would have lifted, but there was now a dense fog on the sea. In the two photos posted you can see the difference of views from our terrace on a clear day and what we saw yesterday. The third shows the thick fog as we travelled on the way home. How did we manage through it, on a trip that took almost an hour, three times longer than normal?

Firstly, we stayed calm. We proceeded slowly. While my son was driving we both scanned the horizon and the surrounding area, searching with strained eyes for landmarks and the occasional boat and kayakers (yes, we did come across a few); and listening out for boat engines nearby.

Most significantly, my son’s navigational training from his time in the military and reserves kicked in. On his mobile he found the sea map that indicated where we were in relation to the several islands and exposed rocks that are normally easily visible landmarks. Then, with almost zero visibility, he used the compass on my mobile to guide us in the right direction. He also took us on a path away from sea lanes where boats enter and exit local harbors.

We made it back without incident and we all took deep breaths of relief. Thinking back, it was a great example of the importance of constant communication, using all of one’s senses, and teamwork. It was an exciting way to celebrate Nature Day and a demonstration of how one’s training and experience can kick in to meet challenging circumstances.