Navigator. Newsletter of Nature s Best Spring issue 2007

Transcription

1 Navigator Newsletter of Nature s Best Spring issue 2007 Wild things wolverine and moose watching Authentic Escapes manors, inns & lodges Export Club building overseas business Winter Wonderland snow, ice & adventure Sápmi the land of the Sami Nature s Best who are we?

2 News >> Letter from the field Dear Friends, The Swedish Ecotourism Society has worked for five years with the Nature s Best label to build a group of quality labelled companies in nature based tourism. Today we have an extensive network that includes 75 Nature s Best companies and 300 business members in our Ecotourism Society. We have visited and talked to hundreds of companies all over Sweden. We cooperate with a wide range of resource people working within destination development, scientific research, government nature protection agencies and NGOs, with accommodation providers, the transport sector and of course VisitSweden. We can definitely see that Swedish nature and outdoors tourism is booming and the sector will grow substantially over the coming years. Our aim is to have 200 quality labelled companies as certified members of Nature s Best within the next 4 years. During 2007 we will produce a guide on how to explore Sweden the natural way. Hopefully it will become an invaluable resource for filling in the gaps during your research on Sweden as a whole or for specific destination planning. Travel with us and be prepared to discover hidden places, cosy hotels, local characters and a wild, authentic and exciting Sweden that will bring your clients back time and time again. Focus Each quarter we will bring you product ideas that we feel may interest you and your clients. The topics will be varied and will be a mixture of news, events, destination spotlights and insider insights into Nature s Best members and their areas of operation. Sweden is a large and diverse country with exceptional potential for specialist tour operators who search for the authentic and unique. We hope to lead you on a voyage of discovery and along the way we ll provide the tools and insight to help you promote the exceptional wilderness, wildlife and culture of Sweden. välkommen, Neil Rogers, Market Development Happy explorations, Dan Jonasson, CEO This inhouse newsletter is a cheap & cheerful design which we ll improve over time. Editor: Neil Rogers neilrogers@ekoturism.org

3 For those wishing to learn more about ecotourism in Scandinavia, The International Ecotourism Society s Global Ecotourism conference will be held in Oslo, Norway between the 14th and 16th of May Dan Jonasson the CEO of the Swedish Ecotourism Society and Nature s Best is an invited speaker at the event and will outline how Nature s Best has evolved and worked in a Swedish context. For more information visit TIES web site at Staffan Widstrand - former board member of the Swedish Ecotourism Society and founder of the International League of Conservation Photographers and multi-winner of the BBC s Wildlife Photographer of the Year has just finished an exciting new book project entitled Wild Sweden Wild Sweden is a four season collection of images taken during Staffan s explorations and features the breathtaking images of Sweden s stunning wilderness and the creatures that roam in it. If this beautifully crafted book doesn t stimulate your interest in Sweden nothing will! Celebrate Carl von Linné s 300th Anniversary Born in 1707 Linneaus is primarily famous for his Systema naturae, a classification system for plants, animals and minerals. Linné carried out several well-known journeys in Sweden, to the provinces of Lapland, Dalarna and Skåne, publishing detailed reports on the structure of their natural systems. Let Nature s Best members guide you through the land of Linné. May Linné festival week - Uppsala The nationwide Tercentenary celebrations will commence on January 28. In Uppsala a host of activities are planned, including concerts, festival events, lectures, and Linnaeus-themed programs. Lennart Pittja, the charismatic Sami Pathfinder from Gällivare has recently joined the staff of Nature s Best. In March Lennart will be leading a workshop attended by Sami entrepreneurs from Jämtland, Lapland and adjoining communities in Norway to discuss how the Sami can better use their culture and skills in the field of ecotourism. Lennart has in-depth experience in the export market through guiding small groups of overseas clients (especially from the USA) on treks supported by his well trained reindeer as pack animals through his community s ancestral grazing lands. Check out Sami oriented travel programmes on the Nature s Best web site and learn more about Lennart at

4 Where the wild things roam Skogens Konung means King of the Forest and your chances of seeing moose with Marcus are almost guaranteed! Sweden has the highest density of moose in the world and Marcus knows when and where to find them. Moose Guarantee Less than two hours drive away from Stockholm in the dense forests of Bergslagen Marcus has established a rustic camp offering basic hut style accommodation at the site of an old charcoal production camp. As the evening draws in Marcus leads small groups of excited nature enthusiasts along forest trails in search of wild moose. Since 2002 Skogens Konung has hosted guests from over 40 different countries. Marcus can also create high quality birding and carnivore tracking programmes. Skogens Konung Ankargatan 25, Västerås, Västmanland. marcus@skogenskonung.se tel: Mushing in Wolverineland You are in the middle of a snow white wilderness. Tracks in the snow reveal that there are wolverines, lynx and moose out there. While the dogs are having a rest in the snow by the anchored sleds, you have some time to investigate the tracks. Five toes means it s a wolverine! Take your time to check the surrounding hillsides and slopes through your binoculars Jokkmokkguiderna Skabram 2001 S Jokkmokk info@jokkmokkguiderna.com tel: Starting point is the little hamlet of Kvikkjokk in Lapland. Within a few hours, you will be taken through a majestic forest by a winding frozen river, to the wide open spaces where the trees can not grow because of the harsh conditions. Tracks of moose, reindeer, hare, arctic fox and ptarmigan are common here, and this area is one of the best in Sweden for spotting wolverine.

5 Living with large carnivores Sweden is a haven for four of Europe s five large carnivores - the bear (Ursos arctos), Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx), the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) and the Wolverine (Gulo gulo). Officially there are approximately 2,600 bear and 2,000 lynx in Fennoscandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Finland). In Sweden the range of the bear stretches from Västmanland to Lapland with thriving populations in Hälsingland and Härjedalen. The lynx is quite evenly distributed throughout Sweden although south of Dalsland, Värmland and Västmanland the lynx occurs only in the odd family group. Sweden and a small pocket of SE Norway are home to approx. 130 wolves, with Dalsland, Värmland, Dalarna and Häslingland being their main strongholds. Europe s estimated 500 wolverine are only found in Scandinavia, Finland and Russia with Sweden and Norway the wolverine heartland with a healthy population of around 380 individuals. Although Sweden is blessed with the rugged, sparsely populated wilderness that large canivores favour viewing or creating tourism experiences that interact with these elusive creatures remains a tricky issue. The European Union s Habitats Directive requires the protection of large carnivore species and this directive is part of Europe s declared intention to halt biodiversity loss by This does not mean however that everyone is happy with the situation. Sweden like other European countries with large carnivores populations face challenges due to the social carrying capacity of large carnivores. This carrying capacity depends upon the tolerance and good will of communities that come into contact with carnivores. The tolerance of society towards carnivores varies from region to region and also depends on which carnivores the communities are sharing space with. In Sweden most conflict arises over the wolf even though wolves are in relatively small numbers compared to the other carnivores. In Scandinavia human/carnivore dynamics are also impacted by the sensitive relationship the Sami have with carnivores due to the need to protect their reindeer herds. In future newsletters we will bring you up-dates on bear and Arctic Fox watching as well as wolf tracking experiences offered by Nature s Best members. Learn more about wildlife watching by going to the wildlife watching section of the Nature s Best web site. Education is vital if society is to better understand how to coexist with these charistmatic creatures. The Big 5 Carnivore Center has been established at Järvsö in Hälsingland with the aim to educate and foster a better understanding between community and carnivore.

6 All images this page c/o featured hotels Authentic Escapes Anariset This small fishing lodge set in the heart of the Vålådalen Nature Reserve is one of Sweden s best kept secrets. Views over the lake towards the towering peaks of Åre are reminiscent of Alaska. Moose and wolverine are close by and fishing for brown trout and arctic char is exceptional. The lodge which is owned and run by Samis is a gateway into their fascinating realm. Sikfors Herrgård This lovingly restored Västmanland manor house dating from 1849 is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy fine food in authentic mid-19th Century surroundings. Walk, cycle or ride along a network of country trails. Fly fish, canoe the lake or search the forest for tasty edible mushrooms. Värdshuset i Dala-Floda This charming inn located south of Lake Siljan in the pretty Dalarna village of Dala-Floda is a cultural outpost for experiencing authentic Dalarna customs and traditions. Meet the locals and enjoy festivals with dancing, folk music and craft courses. The restaurant is a member of the Slow Food Society and offers organic fare from field and forest. Saltoluoka Fjällstation Nestled high in the mountains of the Laponia World Heritage site this mountain station is a cosy base for exploring one of northern Europe s last remaining true wilderness areas. Take a course in a range of mountain skills, walk waymarked trails and enjoy the atmosphere, fine local fare and cameraderie of a traditional Swedish mountain station.

7 a Raven s Eye view Ola & Elin are proud to announce the opening of Raven s Eye Guesthouse. Raven s Eye is beautifully located at the top of Jorm village with a magnificent view of Lake Jormsjön and the Swedish and Norwegian mountains. The guesthouse features ten double rooms each with with a private bathroom. There is also a wonderful lounge and a breakfast room. At Ravens Eye you also find a timeless rough-hewn timbered house in which a feast is prepared every night. By the light of the fire you ll enjoy a meal based on local traditions and the surprises of the season. On property there is also a chapel for weddings and baptisms, a sauna and an outdoors hot tub. Ola and Elin have designed and built everything themselves with influences from Iceland, the Viking Age and the world of the Gaul s. Their wish is to give you a sense of freedom, and the hope that you will find a Raven s Eye a source of inspiration. No matter what you have experienced in the past they guarantee that Ravens Eye will be a new and unique experience. Their on-site tour operation Rid i Jorm offers fantastic winter multi-activity breaks including snowboarding, gentle family friendly ski slopes, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, riding, tobogganing, snowmobile trips and more. In summer the riding on eager Iceland horses is superb and tours to the nearby Korallgrottan (Sweden s longest cave system) are amazing. Overnight walking tours with pack horses are popular as is fly fishing and birding for Golden Eagle and Gyr Falcon. Rid i Jorm are past winners of Sweden s prestigeous Grand Tourism Prize. info@korpensoga.com Images c/o Korpens Oga and Christian Åberg/Zurf AB