European Wilderness Society European Wilderness Network

European Wilderness Network

Soomaa Wilderness

2018

Soomaa Wilderness, Estonia

The 11 530 ha Soomaa Wilderness is embedded into the Soomaa Wilderness information National Park, located in the south-eastern corner of Estonia. Protected area Soomaa National Park The Soomaa National Park, situated in Transitional Estonia, was Wilderness Soomaa Wilderness created to protect large pristine raised bogs, floodplain Country Estonia grasslands, wet forests and meandering rivers. Soomaa Size of the protected 39 640 ha Wilderness consist of four large peat-bogs: Kuresoo, Valgeraba, area Ordi and Kikerpera. The bogs are separated from each other Size of the 11 530 ha by the Pärnu, Halliste, Navesti, Raudna, Lemmjõgi, and Kõpu Wilderness rivers. Alongside these rivers, floodplain meadows and First Audit 2009 floodplain forests occur. Most Recent Audit 2011 Wilderness Large active raised peat-bogs, wetlands Soomaa Wilderness is the most valuable part of an exten- Uniqueness and alluvial forests sive peat-bog Wilderness in south-west Estonia. The area is Number of visitors ILDERNE W SS N Q internationally protected as a Ramsar site (wetland). Within per year to the approx. 50 000 A U E A P

L O

Soomaa Wilderness, Kuresoo Bog is one of the two best surviv- T protected area R

U E

ing large bogs in Estonia, with a high species diversity. Soomaa Number of visitors E T E E A per year to the approx. 15 000 N S S Wilderness is known for having five unique seasons, the fifth WENES season being the high-water season. A number of local rivers from Wilderness surrounding uplands meet in a relatively small area between the bogs and swamp forests. Once or twice a year, when the snow melts across the country, the rivers fill with melting water and break their banks.

Wilderness Protected area

Map scale 1 : 389 000

European Wilderness Quality Standard Audit System The 11 530 ha Soomaa Wilderness was audited in 2009 and 2011 and meets the Platinum Wilderness Quality Standard. A European Wilderness Quality Standard Renewal-Audit is scheduled for 2021.

Biodiversity Soomaa Wilderness is an extensive Wilderness, containing large peat-bogs and thick forests interlaced by numerous rivers and the floodplains that border them. The Soomaa Wilderness is a home and breeding area for several mammals that are extinct or very rare in other parts of Europe. The most common species of large mammals in the area are roe deer, elk, and wild boar. Beaver, lynx, wolf, and bear are found in Soomaa Wilderness as well. The alluvial meadows and forests that cover the riverbanks are of great botanical value. Approximately 200 species of flora have been recorded, including gladiolus, iris, and sedum. The unique swamp forests (carrs) surrounding the bogs are also full of rare and threatened species.

Wilderness Tourism Experience Soomaa National Park and particularly Soomaa Wilderness are offering a unique experience. It’s a good place to be if you enjoy bird watching as 185 species of birds have been recorded in Soomaa. Among rare and endangered species, the most impres- sive species are the black grouse, the willow grouse, the golden eagle, the black stork, the lesser spotted eagle and the great snipe. At the edges of the bogs, capercaillie breed and further into the forest, several woodpecker species, owls and other rare species Contact find a home. During migration season the bogs are a staging site Soomaa Wilderness for geese and swans. Visitor birdwatching programmes are regu- Visitor Center of Soomaa National Park larly combined with canoeing and bog walking trips with servic- Kõrtsi-Tõramaa, Tipu Village, Kõpu Rural Municipality, es offered by local partners. Viljandi County, Estonia Phone: +372 435 7164 Website: https://kaitsealad.ee/eng/soomaa-national-park

© European Wilderness Society www.wilderness-society.org European Wilderness Society Founded on more than 20 years of Wilderness work by our members, the European Wilderness Society is the only Pan-European, Wilderness and environmental advocacy non-profit, non-government organisation.

It has a dedicated multi-cultural and experienced team of Wilderness and wildlife specialists, nature conservationists, researchers and scientists, tourism experts, marketing and business professionals, legal advisors and Wilderness advocates, whose mission is to:

XX identify XX designate XX steward XX promote

Europe’s last Wilderness, WILDCoasts, WILDForests, WILDIslands and WILDRivers. Here non-human intervention leads to open-ended, dynamic processes.

This is conveyed through a range of projects that facilitate Wilderness knowledge exchange, including education, culture and science, from local community through to scientific and governmental level.

European Wilderness Network The European Wilderness Network connects Europe’s wildest places. Certified by the European Wilderness Quality and Audit System, these unique areas host diverse wild ecosystems governed by dynamic open-ended processes, with no or minimum human-intervention. The Network includes, for example, Europe’s last primeval beech forests, the arctic tundra, and mountain landscapes in different climate conditions. It aims to promote Europe’s last Wilderness, WILDCoasts, WILDForests, WILDIslands and WILDRivers, with a comprehensive marketing strategy. The European Wilderness Network offers a platform to share Wilderness Stewardship best-practice examples and Wilderness research. It connects like-minded Wilderness managers and advocates and fosters the exchange of ideas and knowledge across Europe and the world through the European Wilderness Exchange Programme. For more information please see http://european-wilderness.network

European Wilderness Society Registration number / ZVR Zahl: 305471009 Registered in Austria Dechant-Franz-Fuchs Str. 5 | A-5580 Tamsweg EU Transparency registration number: 706136913777-83