Kaupungin tervehdys, Botanical symposium

(Botanical symposium 18.5.2010)

Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear botanists!

On behalf of the city of Joensuu I have a great pleasure to welcome you in Joensuu and to this banquet. What makes me pleasure so great is that I’m biologist myself. I have graduated from University of Joensuu – when it still had that name. So I feel like being home when I’m among the botanists. In my thesis I studied macrophytes in Lake Saimaa even though I don’t identify myself as a botanist.

The city of Joensuu consider itself is European capitalcity of forest. We have here European Foresti Insitute, we have Metla, UEF is having high quality forest sciences in Joensuu campu, there are forestry studies at North Carelian university of Applied science.

But as you very well know, trees are plants and it’s very important have also basic botanical research. UEF is havint that also as you are noticing during your symposium. I’m glad to tell you that also this sector will strenghten in Joensuu. Just yesterday we in city goverment agreed to take part and give financial support to the project to get digital center of museum of natural scince in Joensuu. The center will take care of digitalization and archiving for material of natural sciences.

When I was prepering this speech I did what people nowadays do. I told about it in my facebook status hoping that I will get suggestions what to say. And I did.

One friend of mine commented that I should say something about that what kind of vegetation we will have in hundred year according on different scenarios of climate change. And what kind of link that will have to todays’ society which seems not to care about that at all.

This year is the international year of biodiversity. But as another friend of mine wrote in facebook ”Finland did not succeed to cease the biodiversity loss by the year 2010. And it seems nobody cares.” And it’s not only Finland, the whole world has failed to reduce the loss of biodiversity.

Changing environment and biodiversity are one of the themes of your symposium, too. You know better than me, how much environment is changing and how much we are losing botanical biodiversity all the time. The key note is, how we are able to transform this knowledge to action? How you as botanists can tell about the changes in nature in the way which will change the politics.

The climate change is a fatal question for the humankind. But we have some troubles to really understand it and its seriousness. That’s because the change is gradual and slow; we cannot really see the change and it’s too complex problem.

To change the lifestyles and the way how societies operates, we should deeply understand the seriousness of climate change.

For understanding it’s not only the knowledge we need. Emotions is needed as well. And one way to create emotional experiences is art. Joensuu art museum is doing its part to wake up people. There will be large art exhibiotion by theme of climate change in this museum starting in mid june lasting to the end of september. Unfortunately you are having your symposium a little bit too early. But I hope you are able to come again to Joensuu and visit that exhibition.

One friend in facebook warn me that climate change and losing biodiversity may be too pessimistic themes to speak about. This is anyway a party night and this is supposed to be some kind of toast. But I took a risk because like I told you, I’m a biologist myself. I know that biologist and botanists are able to take some serious talks and still after that they can party.

Dear botanists, I’m glad you are here in Joensuu holding the symposium after few years’ break. I wish you a succesfull meeting and very nice evening.

Prost!