A Coevolvers movie day and nature at Pansio Kisapuisto

The presented movie, Nature Symphony, resonated well with the themes of the project. By presenting unforeseen filmed material of the most amazing pieces of nature in Finland, accompanied by a unique soundscape, the film takes the viewer on a musical adventure into the heart of Finnish nature during all four seasons. It was then a monumental praise to our local nature and biodiversity that are also at the heart of our Living Lab.

Though the evening was written in "Watercolor Grays", we welcomed around thirty enthusiastic new faces, who made their way to our venue specifically for the event. If this is not community engagement, what is it? More than Just human Interest, we had some unexpected guests who wanted to buzz in on the fun – literally! Hundreds of mosquitoes, with a few canine companions on their evening walks, showed up to what seemed like their version of a red carpet event. Thanks to the word-of-mouth that traveled fast in the animal world. 

During the event, our organisers made sure everyone was comfortable despite the extreme weather, thanks to our coevolvers who braved the rain and brought hot refreshments for our visitors. Our heavy-duty tent was strong enough to withstand the torrential rains, ensuring everyone stayed dry and cosy. The audio-visual setup worked just perfectly, with the steamy cups of tea, coffee, and light snacks further perfecting the atmosphere.

With this event, we took our first step in community engagement within the Pansio-Perno district. Pansio-Perno Living Lab has come up with several fascinating new ideas, based on the reflection of the event and discussions we had with our guests, which also strengthen our future ideas of public engagements. The Living Lab used this opportunity to test a survey protocol that has been jointly developed in the project Coevolvers. Inspired by these encounters, we continue our work with the Living Lab community. Our next event is just behind the corner, as we will have a Searching for the common ground workshop with Pansio-Perno residents and stakeholders on September 20. 

The film day festival was a great opportunity to strengthen our network with NGOs who run community centers, or “Living rooms” (Alueolohuone), in different neighborhoods in Turku.

In collaboration with the spearhead project of Yhteisöllinen Turku, we helped the Living rooms organize their own events. In Pansio, the community center Panskis screened two movies, one for children and the other for grown-ups. Their event attracted around a hundred visitors – most of whom were new faces! Similar positive experiences were heard from three other neighbourhoods as well. We congratulate the Living rooms for successful events and look forward to the next Film-day festival in March 2024!

The story of our Living Lab is just beginning, and this evening was not merely an event but a meaningful statement. We took a small yet significant leap towards our goal of finding nature-based solutions through co-created socio-ecological compensation, based on the no-net-loss principle. Our efforts aim to address the social, cultural, and experiential values of nature, particularly in the face of challenges like demographic diversity and deprivation, for the well-being of both human and non-human residents of Pansio-Perno.

Until our next event under the canopy – keep being amazing, Pansio-Perno!