Helsinki mulls establishing nature reserve in Furuvik

The City of Helsinki's Environmental Protection and Guidance Unit has prepared a proposal for the establishment of a nature reserve in Furuvik, said the City in a press release on Monday.

The area is located on the southern shore of Jollas in Laajasalo, near Villa Furuvik and Furuvik Beach.

The proposed nature reserve covers an area of 2.6 hectares. Furuvik is one of the sites included in Helsinki's new Nature Conservation Programme 2025–2038 and is the first area to be protected under the programme.

The area’s predominant habitats are old, primarily coniferous heath and rocky forests, which are in a semi-natural state.

In addition to these, the area includes some more lush forests, a natural treeless mire and open coastal cliffs. The Furuvik nature reserve will protect one of the important core areas of the Jollas nature network, which also includes the Jollas pine mire nature reserve immediately to the north of the site.

The usability of the Furuvik area for outdoor recreation will be improved with a management and use plan prepared for the area. Movement in the area will be directed to the most frequented paths in order to keep the vegetation in good condition. In particular, the path running east-west through the area, which is part of the future Laajasalo waterfront trail, will be improved to make it easier to traverse.

The only immediate nature management measure proposed is the removal of invasive species. The plan was prepared by Sitowise Oy.

The establishment proposal and the management and use plan will be discussed by the City of Helsinki Urban Environment Committee’s Environment and Permits Sub-committee at its meeting on 20 November 2025.

Based on the proposal of the Sub-committee, the City Board will then decide on the submission of an application for the establishment of the nature reserve to the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre).