Activist pastor fights to save linden trees
By Juha Honkonen
Dark-red crosses and other symbols have been painted, and white pieces of cloth hung on trees in a wood in Lahti. One might imagine that these symbols were put in place to the accompaniment of the boom of a shaman’s drum and entranced people dancing nearby.
Something like this actually happened about a year ago. The Sacred Grove divine service resulted in two people being sentenced to a total of EUR 3,000 in fines and damages.
The main sorceress was 51-year-old pastor and religion teacher Nea Kontio. She blessed the trees wearing her pastoral vestments with 70 people of all ages bearing witness.
“I don’t think we did anything illegal, since this paint does not harm anything. See, it practically comes off by itself!” Kontio exclaims.
She hops to the shore of the lake and begins to brush a fish symbol off of a rock. The paint sticks to her hand instantly as a wave splashes water on her. This lady would clearly do almost anything to protect this area. She has already appealed for divine assistance.
The fight for the grove of little-leaf linden trees of Karjusaari began already 20 years ago when the city of Lahti zoned the area for residential use.
“It was a case of wicked injustice, social stupidity and short-sightedness. Since then we have mainly been patching holes”, says Kontio. In 1985, a year after the beginning of the struggle, Kontio was elected to the Lahti City Council.
She and her friends were able to save about 180 metres of the rocky shoreline, but that is not enough to save the trees.
“Karjusaari is probably one of Southern Finland’s most prominent little-leaf linden groves because it is so large and dense. There are about 200 lindens there and most of them are in good condition.”
Half of the 1,2 hectare area is owned by the city, and the other half by a dozen or so private landowners. They were given special permission to build on the site by the Häme environment centre.
An appeal was lodged by the Villikarju-movement; the Päijät-Häme Greens and a number of other local nature groups have filed an appeal in Kouvola Administrative Court. Building cannot begin before the case is heard.
The fight will probably continue for a long time, because the case can be appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court.
“And after that there’s the EU Court of Justice,” Kontio points out, “And one can always pray.”
The Lahti Greens are not unanimously behind this kind of activism. The party group has split in two and Kontio was forced to leave the municipal organisation that she founded herself.
“It got so tough that clearly some people started to be afraid. The only ones benefiting from this are the Social Democrats and the National Coalition Party. The situation is unfortunate and silly, but I hope that common sense will prevail.”
Protecting the environment by means of civil disobedience has usually been done by young people. When a 50-something religion teacher got into the act, it understandably became a topic of conversation in Lahti.
“Of course my middle-school students goad me about it. However, they know that I will intervene if they bring it up in school. My colleagues are also empathetic and supportive,” Kontio smiles.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 31.8.2004
JUHA HONKONEN / Helsingin Sanomat
juha.honkonen@sanoma.fi
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| 7.9.2004 - THIS WEEK |
 Activist pastor fights to save linden trees |
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