We came to the first camp site in Paadarskaidi in the evening. The site was clean from snow and the small stream between the containers and the lavatory was free of ice, so we were not able to cross over to the other side. Outside the camp area there was still quite a bit of snow. We didn't find any waste or any other signs of anyone having lived on the spot for a month, except for a few logs.

A few days later we decided to drive to Nellim, even though we had heard that Metsähallitus had started logging a couple of weeks ago next to the road that leads to the camp site. As soon as we turned off the main road we saw a sign on a small pine tree saying "Warning! Logging site!" There were however no men or machines to be seen, only a jeep parked next to the road and piles of logged timber.

The sides of the road were logged all the way up to the campsite and there was plenty of logging waste left in the forest. The loggings ended just outside the area that the reindeer herders had marked to be an important grazing area.

There was no snow left in the Nellim forest. The Greenpeace camp site was as clean as the one we had seen in Paadarskaidi, just a few logs left. The ATIC camp however still had the frame of the tent left, as well as a long bench left next to the road, and a stack of fire wood. Underneath the firewood we found - not surprisingly - some beer bottles. Some bottles were broken on the ground in the ATIC camp area, and we also found some rusting barrels.

We decided to drive further on the road to Kontosjärvi, to try and drive all the way around to the village of Nellim. On the way we saw some sad sights - logged forests, but also some signs of spring - flooding, birds, and of course reindeer! See more spring photos here.

The sign warning about loggings in the area

Kontosjärventie, the road leading to the Nellim camp

Logging waste in Nellim forest

The Nellim campsite

Photos: © 2005 Greenpeace/Satu Pitkänen