The town of Liminka is selling its nature centre. The centre, situated a few kilometres west of Liminka (about 30 km south of Oulu) at the Liminka Bay, an area is famous for its richness in bird species.

 Especially in spring and early summer, in the time of spring migration, large flocks of arctic geese, whooper swans, cranes, and colourful arctic dugs draw bird enthusiasts both from abroad and from inside Finland to this area.

The nature centre
The nature centre was built in 1998 in connection with the EU LIFE project of Liminka Bay. It boasts accommodation for 28 people and its restaurant can seat one hundred.  There is a sauna, dressing room, fire place close by, a photo exhibition and a conference room for over 50 persons.

The Municipality of Liminka owns the centre and used to rent out the place to the Vocational School Merikoski in Oulu.Merikoski/Luovi offers training for jobs in catering, hotel management and cooking and uses the centre partly as a training place for its students. The Municipality also hired local guides to conduct bird tours.  But now the centre is empty and waiting for a buyer.

The search for an entrepreneur
“Now we would like to sell the buildings. I think it would be a great place for an eager entrepreneur interested in nature and nature tourism” said Satu Sarin, the development chief of the municipality.

In the bird migration season from the end of April to the beginning of June, there are about 10-20 000 bird enthusiasts visiting the bird towers. With some marketing and additional ideas for activities in the area, the number could be increased.

There could be also other interesting activities around the year for visitors additionally to bird watching. Last April, there has been a bird photo festival organized in the nature centre.

 “Close by, there is also an entrepreneur who offers horseback riding with whom could be some cooperation”, added Satu Sarin.
“Furthermore, there are possibilities for fishing, hiking, skiing in the winter, there is the company ‘Finnature’ specialized in guided birdwatching- and photography tours, there is a family zoo and much more! The problem is only that we as a municipality can’t be an entrepreneur, therefore we are searching one from outside.”
 
The nature centre has two offices and a living space with kitchen, toilet etc. separated from the working place.

“An entrepreneur could actually also live at the nature centre with the family, at least for the first time”, said Satu Sarin.     Another positive point is the good infrastructure: Although the nature centre is situated in the middle of nature, it is not far to the main road connecting Southern and Northern Finland. Also the airport is only a 15-20 minutes drive away.

The Bay of Liminka
The Bay of Liminka is the largest bay in the Gulf of Bothnia and one of the most important bird areas in Europe. The water is very shallow along the coast of Liminka Bay, perfect for water birds. There are over 100 bird species breeding in the area, and during the migration time, you can spot over 280 different bird species there. There are also many endangered species to see such as the Lesser White-fronted Goose, Gyrfalcon, Dunlin and White-tailed Eagle.

There are two bird towers on the cost close to the nature centre, easily accessible by a path from the parking lot. It is also possible to watch birds from the cafeteria of the nature centre or from its own bird tower on the roof, which is heated and protected from snow and rain which might occur during the spring migration season in April, May and June.

The municipality and town of Liminka
Liminka is a small municipality with about 8300 inhabitants. It has a quite young population with an average age of 30. There are many children and therefore a developed infrastructure in terms of day care, basic education and activities. There are good road connections to Oulu, meaning that people can work in Oulu and live in the countryside around Liminka if they wish to.

Since Liminka is a growing town, many of the buildings are new and modern. There is also an Art school with about 120 pupils learning in how to sketch comics and how to paint.
“Actually, you could say that Liminka is a place of artists” says Pekka Rajala, the municipal manager. “Culture and creativity are the strong sites here, and there are several famous artists from here, for example the painter Vilho Lampi or the opera singer Abraham Ojanperä.”  

More information:
E-Mail address of Satu Sarin: satu.sarin[at]liminka.fi