Our journey into regenerative tourism

Our journey into regenerative tourism

How it all begun?

I first heard the term regenerative tourism in 2022 when Visit Finland invited Hawkhill as a case example of regenerative toursim. At that time the term itself was new to me. But the idea behind wasn’t. When I started reading more about regenerative tourism, it felt like someone had finally given a name to something we had already been doing for years. The starting point for us has always been this place.

According to the landscape analysis of the area, one of the most valuable things here is that the main features of the landscape have stayed almost unchanged for a very long time. When you walk in the forests around Hawkhill, look at the rocks, the lakes and the old forest, you are looking at a landscape that has stayed largely the same for hundreds of years. For me, that is the most important reason why we do things the way we do. Also if we think of the time frame we are here it is relatively short, about 80 years in that short time we should not make too big changes or destroy anything that has lasted centeries before us

Nuuksio is one of the most important nature areas near Helsinki. A large forest landscape, surprisingly quiet and wild considering how close it is to the city. There are many protected areas and a lot of biodiversity here. Being able to work  and live here is a privilege and it also comes with responsibility.

What regenerative business means in practice at Hawkhill Resor

🌲 Restoring nature

Over the years we have restored a six hectares of our own  wetland. Today it works again as a natural carbon sink, capturing around 15,000 kg of CO₂ /year Restoration stopped also leaking of bog waters to head water lakes Siuntio river. Read more about our wetland restoration

We are also slowly restoring our old five hectare fields back towards their traditional landscape.

Every year we remove invasive species like lupines and also coodrinate lupin battle event that gathers togethr locas, local Nuuksio Lakeland entrepreuners to fight agains alien spece garden lupin.

Summer 2025 total amount of destroyed lupins was 33 500 liters.

We have installed more than 50 birdhouses around the Hawkhill area and feed birds during the winter. And in everyday work we try to follow circular economy thinking: repairing, restoring and reusing materials instead of throwing things away.

🌲 Being part of the local community

Hawkhill is part of the small Tervalampi village. We have hired the village hall kitchen for catering and support the local community hall financially Taking part in local activities and trying to support the community around us whenever possible.

For us silence of our cottage lake is important value and we do n not want to disturb the peace of the Kaitlampi lake community we are part of.

We are also one of the founding members of the Nuuksio Lakeland entrepreneur network, where local businesses work together to develop sustainable tourism in this area.

🌲 Local food

Food matters too. Our menus are designed seasonally and based on Finnish food culture and we try to use mostly local or nearby produced ingredients. For us it is important to support local producers and share also their story.

🌲 Participation & learning

Our guests can build insect hotels and birdhouses while learning about threatened species. They can join in removing invasive plants and discover the richness of Finnish peat lands. Visiting students take part in building deadwood fences and other biodiversity-supporting structures

For us, regenerative tourism is not a label it’s a continuous journey of learning, restoring, and involving others. And perhaps most importantly, our guests are not just visitors they become part of the positive impact. They become part of taking care of this place and hopefully we can change something in their thinking and it will create some durable changes in their way of life.