Sustainability expert and doctoral researcher Auni Haapala has started work as a planner in the CAP-SHARE project of the University of Lapland on 14 April 2026. Haapala will participate in the implementation of the project's workshops and other activities and produce project content, such as educational materials and policy recommendations, related to strengthening the participation of young people and local communities in the Arctic region in biodiversity issues.

Haapala's background is in multidisciplinary environmental research. She has previously worked in research and development projects dealing with the impacts of climate change at, for example, the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Meteorological Institute, examining in particular the intersections of land use, climate change and inequality. Since 2021, Haapala has been delving into local and regional environmental governance issues in the Arctic region as part of her doctoral research at the Gender Studies Unit of the University of Lapland.

The central objective of the Interreg NPA-funded CAP-SHARE project is to strengthen the agency of young people and local communities as well as intergenerational communication on issues of strengthening biodiversity in the Arctic region. In addition to the University of Lapland, the project – which runs until 2027 – is implemented by the Icelandic Museum of Natural History (coordinator) and the Norwegian Arctic Frontiers.

Vesa Orassalo’s panel speech 
 
Tiõrv! 

We have the pleasure and honour to publish Vesa Orassalo’s speech at the CAP-SHARE panel Intergenerational Capacity Sharing: The Connection Between Nature and Youth. The panel was held at the Arctic Frontiers conference in February 2026 in Tromsø, Norway.

The speech was originally given in Finnish, and it has been translated into English, Northern Sámi, Inari Sámi and Skolt Sámi.
 
Panel speech: Tiõrv! 
 
Vesa Orassalo, Skolt Sámi Fisherman and Preservice Teacher, University of Lapland

Tiõrv!
 
I was given a wonderful opportunity to attend the Arctic Frontiers 2026 conference in Tromsø. In this article, I will tell you about my participation in the CAP-SHARE panel discussion. The topics discussed include the Sámi identity, the Arctic and education.
 
First, I want to tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Vesa Orassalo and I study education at the University of Lapland. Deep down, I am a hunter and a fisherman. I am interested in the Arctic, the rights of indigenous peoples, and nature and its conservation. I come from the small village of Neiden in the Skolt Sámi region at the border of Finland and Norway.
 
The timing for the conference was perfect, as on 6 February, we celebrated the Sámi National Day. I was invited by the CAP-SHARE project of the Faculty of Education of the University of Lapland to participate in a panel discussion on young people’s views on the changing Arctic environment. I also participated in a student forum consisting of students from different parts of the Arctic region. I was also honoured to speak at the True North – Who is the Arctic? event. I was able to speak to a large audience at the event’s final Big Picture event, entitled Stories from the Coast, and I spoke about the changes in salmon fishing from the perspective of a Skolt Sámi youth.
 
CAP-SHARE panel discussion
On Wednesday morning on 4 February, I arrived nearly on time at the Saga hotel where the panel took place. I was not nervous since I was used to the situation and the concept. I had also prepared well for the questions. The topics discussed were biodiversity and the resilience of communities in the northern and Arctic regions. Two young Sámi persons, as well as Icelandic and Greenlandic youths took part in the panel discussion.
 
The first question was addressed to me.
 
What does biodiversity and the resilience of communities mean to you in your everyday life and in your home region? 

For me, biodiversity means a more interesting life. In my region, people enjoy nature in many ways. Older people, such as my grandmother, care for small animals, such as birds and rabbits, where they live. This could be the highlight of their day. As a hunter, I pay attention to aspects of diversity that affect my own way of life. By this I mean that when I see a lot of moles, I know that small predators are hunting them instead of young willow grouse. Dense willow thickets, on the other hand, mean a good hiding and feeding spot for many game animals.

Biodiversity means opportunities for me. Biodiversity and the resilience of communities mean having the capacity to face short-term and long-term changes affecting local opportunities. How does climate change and other challenges, such as overgrazing, mining, forestry, and the green transition, affect nature and how do we keep up with it? How does nature keep up with it?

What does a hopeful, fair and sustainable Arctic future look like from your perspective?

For me, it looks like a region with scars left by the current problems we are facing today. However, the region is recovering. Winters are still freezing cold. Summers continue to be tolerable to biodiversity. Salmon still head up the river to spawn. Drought is not a constant threat. Birds can still hatch in stable weather conditions. Large animals, such as reindeer and elk, can handle the heat.

The Arctic continues to exist as a place we can still recognise.

How do you feel connected to land and water, such as rivers, lakes, coastal areas, tundra, forests, or fells, and how do these relationships shape your identity and vision of the future?

The answer to this question was very similar among all Sámi panellists. In my opinion, this illustrates how we indigenous peoples experience nature as an integral part of our lives.

In my turn, I said that I feel a deep connection with nature. When nature suffers, I suffer too. Even before I started upper secondary school, I told my family and friends that when I die, I want my ashes to be spread into the wilderness. I want to be part of nature forever. These environments and the opportunities they offer have already shaped my future. To this day, every decision I have made has supported my life in the Arctic. Whether it was about school, career or relationships, I always choose the option that will guide me back to nature.

Like a salmon returning to its native river. Like a goose returning to a wild pond after the winter, I will always return to my home region. But first, I must survive the “winter” of my life, that is, university and finding direction for my life.

What role should education play in empowering young people to contribute to protecting biodiversity, adapting to climate change, and strengthening the resilience of communities?

This question was the only one that was directly related to my studies and not to my close relationship with nature. I discussed my bachelor’s thesis in class teacher education entitled “The significance of a positive relationship with nature in education”. My research revealed that especially the positive experiences of nature gained at an early age, younger than 11, are extremely important for the development of a positive relationship with nature, which in turn leads to more positive environmental behaviour.

In my answer, I stressed that teachers and the curriculum have a significant educational impact on young people who will protect the environment and act responsibly. The importance of education is growing significantly in cities and for families that do not have the same opportunity to take their children to enjoy nature as families in smaller localities.

In my opinion, school education and the curriculum should include time spent in nature.

In your opinion, how is information related to indigenous peoples and local information currently included in biodiversity management and policy-making processes?

I agreed with the other Sámi panellists that people and authorities do listen to the locals but not enough. One panellist compared the situation to consulting young people and children. They are asked for their opinion, but it rarely affects the final decision. I brought up an example of authorities ignoring local information about River Tana a few years ago. The locals reported that the location of the dam was bad, but their opinions went unheard.

Today, I am also a deputy member of the Neiden Skolt Council. Based on my experience as a member of the Council, I can say that local opinions are heard on many issues related to biodiversity and nature. However, I do not know how often the locals actually influence decisions and to what extent, because I have only held this position for a short time. Nevertheless, I think that we are moving in a good direction.

Conclusion
Arctic Frontiers was not just a conference for me, but a reminder of why I am doing what I do. Nature, my home region, and its people are not just themes for me – they are the foundation of my life. That week filled me with renewed enthusiasm and the young people I met gave me inspiration and hopefully useful contacts for the future.

If we want a future for the Arctic, we must listen to those who live there. I will do my part to make those voices heard. We must also raise new generations to join our choir.

I am incredibly grateful to the CAP-SHARE project for allowing me to participate in the conference.
 
Vesa’s WHO IS THE ARCTIC speech on YouTube:
 https://www.youtube.com/live/LEoZ7u-EOM0?si=De-Z09tvRc4VvMAS

4.2.2026
We are delighted to publish the keynote speech delivered at the Arctic Frontiers Conference in February 2026 in Tromsø, Norway, as part of the CAP-SHARE project session Intergenerational Capacity Sharing: The Connection Between Nature and Youth

Keynote: The Cloudberry Theory of Capacity Sharing

Hans Ravna-Pieski Sámi Youth Council, Sámi Parliament, Finland


the cloudberry theory of capacity sharing

I like cloudberries. Yeah, those orange ones. I mean that first one of the season, freshly picked... oh yeah.

However, if one is to store these berries for the cold, long winter, I think you need a secret ingredient. So let me start this off, by dropping some real certified Indigenous knowledge on you, right here, right now... You gotta add some sugar, man.

And, okay, many may already know this, but maybe the secret is actually not so much in the ingredient, but the quantity. You don’t just add a little bit. You add… You add it like this:

The cloudberry season is only once a year. And so is this conference. And to get the most out of this event, I think there are some secret ingredients and quantities involved here, too.

My name is Hans Ravna-Pieski. I’m from the river valleys of the far North in Finland, from a small village called Ohcejohka, which lies by the river Deatnu.

I’m also from The Sámi Youth Council in Finland and I have a background in journalism at Yle Sápmi. Currently, I’m studying Information Technology at Tampere University and I’m specializing in AI and language technology.

So I spend my days teaching machines human language. But in my experience, the hardest work isn't getting the machines to understand us, it's getting us to understand us. And that requires more than just presence. Because being here today is not just about sitting in a room at Saga Hotel.

Many of you have made a great journey to join us today, though. I would assume most of you woke up pretty early, too. That’s effort, and it shows that you care. And seeing all this effort here today... amusingly, it reminds me of going out to pick cloudberries.

There are some differences, though. We all knew the exact date for this event a long time in advance. But you don’t know exactly when the cloudberry season begins.

I mean, obviously, one could use all their Indigenous knowledge and know-how and think "Oh, the snow melted pretty early this year... the summer has been quite hot... and there were so-and-so many mosquitoes..." And then you just get a feeling. Hmm, yeah. The berries could be ripe in that place right now.

And so you decide: Tomorrow I will wake up early, and I will go there. Like how all of you came here today.

And so, you put your boots on, your backpack, and you grab your bucket. You start walking. You leave the road and step onto the springing moss. You trudge through the wetlands where the ground tries to suck the boots right off your feet, šchlop šchlop šchlop.

Eventually, you get to your super-secret spot... but no. No berries. So you think: "Hmm, okay, well, there’s this other place nearby."

You walk there. Now the sweat is running down your back. The mosquitoes have found you, they are buzzing in your ears, biting your neck. It’s not fun. And some people have this theory about the Sámi, “Nooo, they don’t feel the mosquitoes…!” But you keep going.

You arrive at the… jeaggi – the swamp. But the berries aren’t ripe, or maybe they’re already too old. And you look here, and you look there... and nothing.

And you start looking down at your feet as you walk, and this is where you start questioning your own cultural identity. Am I even Sámi? I’ve miscalculated everything. I have lost the connection. My elders have abandoned me.

But just before you decide to abandon your whole culture, move south for the rest of your life, get a southern wife, never teach your kids to speak Sámi, and die an old, bitter, miserable man...

You see one shiny cloudberry. And then you see a few more.

You raise your head, and in front of you, the whole swamp is glowing. Like an amber blanket, there’s a sea of orange gold stretching out against the green moss.

And you are so happy. "Yes! I found them! I’m Sámi after all!"

I hope many of you are also happy to be here today. And let me assure you: You have come to the right swamp. However, to tell you the truth... coming here was the easy part. You still have all these berries to pick.

And here is the final thing about the cloudberry.

You know the berry is truly ripe... not when you need to forcefully pull it from its stem. But when you merely touch it, and it detaches effortlessly. It wants you to take it. It wants to be shared.

So, let’s make sure our ideas are prepared to do the same. Let's make our knowledge accessible, add a little sugar if we have to, and let's fill those buckets.

Thank you.