Camp Area
New Camping Area
Jamborees in Finland have been held in various places around the country, mostly rented or on loan from Military, Church and local municipalities. Now, for the first time in Finnish scouting history, scouts are able to gather in the thousands in a camping centre designed for Jamborees and troop level summer camps alike. The Evo Camping Center for Youth, a joint operation of the Scouts of Finland, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and HAMK University of Applied Sciences, will be hosting our 6th national jamboree, Kilke, and many camps there after.
Since Kilke will last for more than two weeks together with construction, camping and disassembly, plenty of space and good facilities are needed. Fortunately Evo Camping Centre for Youth covers about 100 hectares of land including two lakes, one of which even has a swimming beach. An electrical grid and water supply along with a road network have already been build and during volunteer scouts will build permanent buildings, such as cabin and a lean-to-shelter. After all the work at the site has been finished the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will continue to care of the area.
Endless Possibilities
The Camping Centre is located in the middle of Evo Hiking Reserve, one of the largest (8500 hectares) hiking areas in Southern Finland. The location is excellent, easy to reach from near by cities, Hämeenlinna and Lahti, and teaming with local wild life. Beavers, lynx, flying squirrels and the red-throated diver are just few of the many natural inhabitants a hiker may meet while trekking trough the area.
"It's excellent that we now have a camping centre available for all youth organisations within two hour drive from the capital", comments Executive Manager Jyrki Kangas from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Young scout leaders Fanny Malkakorpi (Kerava) and Eero Viitanen (Rajamäen Metsänkävijät) agree, adding that it's nice to invite international scouting friends to wonder at a Finnish camp in the middle of a forest.
Proud to Recycle
The best way to minimize the harmful effects of waste is to minimize the amount of waste. Finnish national Waste Treatment Scheme is commited to continued reduction of waste produced and keeping the level of reuse at 70 percent.
All waste at Kilke will be recycled in accordance with local regulations, separating burnable (energy), paper, glass, metal and biodegreable waste from problematic toxic and mixed waste.