Also in Moominvalley, late summer means harvesting season with ripe fruits and berries and all the colours and flavours that come with. It brings a perfect possibility to store up on delicious jams and juices, among other things. By eating seasonal products the Moomin way, you’re relieving some of the stress on the environment.
The Moomin family finds it natural to live self-sustaining lives and to use the raw material found in Moominvalley. This is demonstrated in Moominmamma’s annual jam preservation, where she makes jam out of the fruits and berries found in her own garden.
“It was a beautiful autumn morning. The shadows made one’s snout a little chilly but the sunshine felt nearly like summer. Everything was wet from the night’s rain, and all colours were strong and clear. When all the apples were picked or shaken down Moominpappa carried the biggest apple mincer out in the garden, and they started making apple-cheese. Moomintroll turned the handle, Moominmamma fed the mincer with apples and Moominpappa carried the filled jars to the verandah. Little My sat in a tree singing the Big Apple Song.”
Tales from Moominvalley, 1962
Inspired by the Moomin stories, the #OURSEA campaign urged all of us to commit to concrete environmental deeds and, as noticed, the Moomin world is full of good examples of environmental thinking. Did you know that more than half of the eutrophying nutrient load caused by Finnish consumers originates from food, and half of the whole country’s nutrient load ending up in the Baltic Sea comes from agriculture?
The agricultural impact on the environment can be influenced by reducing your own nutrient footprint, for example, a vegetarian diet has a lower impact on the environment, and by eating sustainably caught Baltic Sea fish you can even rid the sea of some of the nutrition that’s already been released!
By choosing seasonal vegetables and locally produced food, you’re also choosing Baltic Sea friendly food – during winters, veggies are grown in greenhouses and are transported long distances, taking an unnecessary toll on the environment. By purchasing local food you’re taking concrete action to protect the environment and supporting local entrepreneurs while doing so.
Even small deeds can have a big impact, and all of us can do it!
“The entire population of the valley, the woods, the hills and the shore were coming with food and drink, which they spread out on the tables in the garden: there were big piles of gleaming fruit and huge plates of sandwiches on the bigger tables, and on tiny little tables under the bushes there were ears of corn and berries threaded on straw and clusters of nuts nestling in their own leaves. Moominmamma put the fat for frying the pancakes in the bathtub because there weren’t enough basins, and then she carried up eleven enormous jars of raspberry juice from the cellar. (The twelfth had been cracked, I’m sorry to say when the Hemulen let off his squib – but it didn’t matter as Thingumy and Bob had licked most of it up.)”
Finn Family Moomintroll, 1948
The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world – #OURSEA campaign to the rescue
The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world and the most critical environmental hazard facing it is eutrophication. Even though eutrophication has decreased somewhat as of late, there are clear signs of eutrophication that are still bothering the Baltic Sea: blue-green algae bloomings, turbid water and anoxic seafloor. The effects of climate change further accelerate the sea’s eutrophication. Familiar games and adventures from the beloved Moomin stories would look quite different were they played out in today’s environment.
The #OURSEA campaign, launched in 2020 in honour of the Moomin stories’ 75-year anniversary, protected the sea in a cooperative effort together with the internationally acclaimed John Nurminen Foundation. The campaign also strived to increase knowledge about the source of inspiration behind the Moomin stories – the Baltic Sea and how to protect it, while gathering funds for the John Nurminen Foundation’s work to save the sea and its heritage.
The campaign collected altogether more than 1 million euros to protect the Baltic Sea.
Help the Baltic Sea by eating local fish!
Here are some new OURSEA campaign tips: eating local fish helps the Baltic Sea by reducing the amount of nutrients that overload the sea.
For Moominous adventures – choose environmentally friendly fuels and vehicles!
The Moomin family loved boating, and used boats for fishing trips as well as longer journeys, in hope of great adventures.