Tampere startup Tuleva luonto grows endangered Finnish plants in Messukylä hall for habitat restoration

Dr Jere Nieminen's company, Tuleva luonto, is collecting seeds from Finnish wild plants and growing seedlings in a Messukylä hall in Tampere to restore habitats and bolster endangered species populations, Yle reports.

Inside the hall, Nieminen tends germination trays and documents every seed lot with scientific precision: GPS coordinates, collection date, collector, site notes and an estimate of how much of a population's seed production was taken. He points to pikkutervakko (a small bog species) as an example of a plant whose local populations have declined sharply; many of the nursery's boxes now hold as many plants as exist in parts of North Pirkanmaa. He stresses local sourcing, saying seeds for the Korpinpuisto meadow project were gathered within two kilometres to preserve regional genetic diversity.

About 18 months ago, after studying restoration approaches in North America and Europe, Nieminen founded Tuleva luonto, moving on from planting unauthorized guerrilla meadows and activism with the Villi vyöhyke association. The company already works with Tampere city, Aalto University in Espoo, Saint‑Gobain in Salo and Metsä Fibre in Kemi, and has special permits to raise highly endangered, protected species such as kangasraunikki (a heath pink) and hietaneilikka (sand pink) for reintroduction. His stated goal is practical: to carry out hands-on restoration work and share know-how so more organisations can take up seed-based nature restoration across Finland.