Tell Your Story: The Visible and Invisible Benefits of Community Forests

The event is a public engagement programme that brings together storytelling, climate education, art, and hands-on experiences. Taking place at Arvamusfestival, it creates a welcoming space where people can explore how climate, nature, and everyday life are connected through personal experiences, shared knowledge, and practical activities.

The main discussion “Tell Your Story: The Visible and Invisible Benefits of Community Forests” invites participants to share their own experiences and memories connected to forests. Instead of a traditional expert-led panel, the discussion puts people’s stories at the centre, with experts listening, reflecting, and adding wider ecological, social, and cultural perspectives. Together, participants explore the many ways forests enrich our lives, from health, recreation, and emotional well-being to food, cultural identity, and traditional knowledge.

The aim is to create an open and positive conversation that helps people notice and appreciate both the visible and often overlooked benefits forests provide. The programme is complemented by a climate exhibition created by illustrator and Climate Pact Ambassador Piret Räni. Through engaging visual infographics, the exhibition explores topics such as climate change, climate justice, migration, food systems, and possible solutions. The exhibition makes complex environmental topics easier to understand and invites visitors to reflect through artistic climate conversations with Piret Räni. After the discussion, visitors can continue exploring climate and nature topics through workshops and discovery tables.

These activities offer practical, hands-on experiences connected to everyday life, including learning about soil health, plants, mushrooms, and sustainable practices. Visitors can discover the value of forest-based foods and traditions through activities such as tasting fresh honey, dried chanterelles, and spruce shoot syrup, while also learning how these products are connected to local ecosystems and knowledge.

The event aims to bring people closer to climate action by making environmental topics personal, understandable, and meaningful. It creates a space where citizens, experts, and Climate Pact community members can share experiences, learn from each other, and discover how small everyday connections with nature can contribute to a more sustainable future.