The Cultural Geography chairgroup invites you to a Wageningen Geography Lecture on:
Incorporating cultural history in wetland restoration in Estonia
Dr Piret Pungas-Kohv (University of Tartu)
Friday June 30, 11:00 – 12:15, with lunch afterwards:
PLEASE SIGN UP HERE IF YOU WANT TO JOIN LUNCH
Lumen 1 (this meeting will be held in person only)
Dr Piret Pungas-Kohv (University of Tartu) is a cultural geographer who examined processes of maintenance and sustenance of cultural and natural heritage, such as traditional large swings commonly found in Estonia, as well as natural mires. Since 2015 she has been involved in the LIFE Mires Estonia project, funded by the European Commission’s LIFE program, aiming to restore over 7,000 hectares of mires in nature protection areas. Piret served as an environmental awareness expert in the project, creating materials to raise people’s awareness of wetlands and the importance of their restoration. Additionally, this project allowed for an examination of representations of Estonian mires, particularly in Estonian literature. The LIFE Mires Estonia project has now concluded, but wetland restoration activities continue in Pärnumaa with various nuances and activities under the WaterLANDS project, funded by the European Commission’s Green Deal program.
In her presentation, Piret Pungas-Kohv will briefly introduce her activities from both a theoretical and practical perspective. She will discuss the cultural history of wetlands in Estonia, focusing on the relationship between people and mires through literature and traditional references over the past 150 years. She will bring out changing attitudes towards mires in Estonia, followed by a portrayal of how the cultural history of wetlands has been incorporated into wetland restoration practice.
Centre for Space, Place and Society 