Movement in the forest (Tervajärvi)

The majority of forests in Repovesi have been used for forestry, which is reflected in the age distribution of forests in the area, where most of the forests under 50 years of age are found. Some of the forests, especially in places that are difficult to reach, have been protected against harvesting, which means that forests more than one hundred years of age can also be found in Repovesi.

Animals and birds in the northern coniferous forest zone live in the forests of Repovesi. The red-brown tail of the fox may flicker between the trees and the capercaillie will fly out of the nearby spruce. The endangered white-backed woodpecker also thrives in the old deciduous forests.

The fox is the emblem of the national park; indeed, ‘repo’ is the old Finnish word for fox. It originally referred to the leather for which foxes were hunted. The Finnish word for aurora borealis--’revontulet’--was also named after the fox. According to legend, the aurora borealis comes from the swishing white tip of the fox’s tail.