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Arctic Land Adventure kestävää matkailua porotilalla

Our Sustainability Promise

Sustainable travel from the heart

The Vasara reindeer farm is the home of Arctic Land Adventure glass roofed igloos. Today, the 12th generation of Sámi reindeer herders continues the traditional reindeer husbandry, with modern time updates. We are an original Sámi reindeer farm; thus socio-cultural sustainability and the preservation of traditions are a built-in feature for us. Our visitors share the everyday life of a reindeer farm together with us. The full spectrum of reindeer herder’s life is right here, visible at the very same grounds with our travel business.

Fostering and respecting Sámi traditions is at the core of everything we do. You can see the Sami traditions in the work clothes we wear or the decoration of the buildings. The ceiling lights are hand made from the antlers of our own reindeer. In our dining kota, we serve our own produce at the mealtime and follow traditional family recipes. To not cause stress to the reindeer crazing in the fell, we only take small groups at a time to visit the herd.

In the demanding Arctic conditions, sustainable development and ecological solutions are basic preconditions for everyday life. All our buildings are heated by geothermal energy. Geothermal heat is obtained through a multi-hundred-meter-long heat collection pipeline embedded in Lake Peerajärvi, which we are located by. Glass igloos also have heat pumps to ensure extra comfort. 

We co-operate with local service providers and favour local production. At our premises and our little shop, visitors can find the best of Finnish design and handcrafts. To support financial sustainability, we strive to use local services and labour where possible and available.

 

ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY

  • Sámi way of life and living in harmony with nature is at the heart of all our activities.
  • The placement of the buildings respects the valuable landscape and sensitive nature.
  • All our buildings are timber-framed, and this has been scientifically proven to have a lowering effect on blood pressure and stress.
  • All our buildings are heated by geothermal energy from Lake Peerajärvi.
  • Each glass igloo also has a heat pump to increase living comfort.
  • In glass igloos, we guide customers to use water and heating in a sustainable way. In addition, each glass igloo has recycling bins for waste.
  • In residential buildings, the comfort temperature is 21 degrees.
  • We have used the raw materials from the surrounding area in landscaping.
  • Recycled materials and recycled structures have been used in the construction of the terrace.
  • Customers are able to spend their entire holiday at the reindeer farm, we focus the activities on our own plot and the surrounding area. Hobby equipment and appropriate clothing are also provided.
  • In winter, we take customers to the fell to get to know reindeer husbandry with a sledge behind the snowmobile, which produces smaller carbon footprint per customer than each driving their own snowmobile.
  • We do not arrange snowmobile safaris to the wilderness area.
  • All parts of the reindeer are used, e.g. antlers as lights, hoists for warm seating outside and meat for dinner. Bones are a delicacy of our reindeer dogs and a material widely used by artisans.
  • We minimize food waste by serving dinners on table instead of a buffet.
  • We use fresh raw materials collected, produced and caught ourselves. Purchased products favour domestic and preferably small producers.
  • We serve local clean water to our customers
  • Napkins and tablecloths are linen.
  • We sort metal, glass, cardboard and paper.
  • We compost our biowaste.
  • We use Kupilka composite containers as excursion containers. We do not use disposable containers at all.
  • We strive to find quality products in the surrounding area (Finland, Scandinavia, Estonia)
  • We have a charging stations for electric cars available in the summer of 2021.
  • We have a local water and sewer solution: our own borehole and waste tank.
  • The toilet we build for the sauna building is a composting toilet.

SOCIO-CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY

  • We are a genuine reindeer farm and a small family business.
  • Sámi reindeer husbandry and culture are at the heart of our operations and define the core of our entire business. The traditional lifestyle is always present on our reindeer farm and an everyday part of our lives.
  • The owner is a Sámi reindeer herder already in the 12th generation and speaks Finnish in addition to Sámi.
  • The model of the buildings is taken from a traditional Sámi hut and e.g. the frame of the traditional earlobe-shape kota has come as a legacy from the host’s family.
  • Activities for our customers are part of the existing business and life of the reindeer farm.
  • Reindeer activities are not only organized for tourists, but the client is integrated into the life of the reindeer herder and the reindeer.
  • The reindeer on the farm graze following the natural grazing cycle: in winter near the reindeer farm and in summer in the village of Kilpisjärvi.
  • Reindeer are well cared for and in winter they are fed as needed.
  • Reindeer are separated according to the traditional Sámi separation fence, located next to the farm. Slaughter is handled responsibly and following modern animal welfare laws and regulations.
  • The owners have built and made several of the items and structures used at the farm: terrace, lamps, hostess workwear, storage furniture.
  • We use local products and local services when they are available.
  • We recommend local operators and service providers who meet our own quality criteria to our customers.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

  • Our target is to operate year-round, which makes property use and employment more sustainable.
  • We favour permanent employment.
  • We primarily employ local additional labour as needed.
  • We strive to find suitable workers from professionals working and living in the area.
  • We buy and use local services and products when possible.
  • We have selected durable and high-quality products for building materials, customers’ overalls, linens, tableware and others.
  • We commit to transparency for our customers and partners and are happy to tell you more about our choices.
  • Our family business operates with a longterm vision to provide high quality service for our customers for decades.

WE DO THIS TOGETHER

If you are interested to hear more about our sustainability principles and the functions of the reindeer farm, please be in touch. We are more than happy to tell you more.

Together we can build better tourism and support local entrepreneurs.