Summer in Finland brings an unexpected visitor that ruins the beach and no one can stop it
Summer in Finland is so short and precious that every ray of sunshine is cherished as a gift. People flock to the beaches, parks come to life, and the city transforms completely. However, the presence of a certain guest has turned these days of relaxation into a challenge of balance and tolerance.
A scarce and contested summer
Every sunny day is an event that no one wants to miss: towels on the sand, bikes exploring the city, record-breaking heat that would be considered mild in other latitudes. But in the midst of this natural celebration, a problem arises daily: barnacle geese, gregarious and stubborn birds, have colonized parks and beaches, leaving behind tons of droppings that turn every walk into an obstacle course.
Last summer alone, more than 5,000 birds were counted in the Helsinki area, and cleaning staff collected over 20 kilos of droppings daily on certain beaches. What may seem like a simple annoyance to a tourist is a daily challenge for the locals who have limited time to enjoy the sun.
Sun, sand, and tons of droppings
In the parks, the grass is covered in feces that get stuck to shoes and bikes. On the sand, before laying down a towel, the terrain must be inspected. Parents and volleyball players fear a misstep or landing in a brown puddle. The geese cross pedestrian crossings as naturally as humans, oblivious to the chaos they cause.
Locals have tried everything: recordings of eagles, trained dogs, cleaning machines, even sand mixes that ended up contaminating the water. No solution has been effective. A manual device to filter the sand, for example, was useless on wet ground and ended up abandoned in a warehouse.
The forced coexistence with the geese
Regulations prohibit drastic measures such as urban hunting or mass culling applied in other countries. Here, ethics and ecology weigh more than temporary discomfort. Over time, locals have learned to coexist with the geese and their droppings, although every day at the beach involves dodging, cleaning, and accepting that nature is not always idyllic.
With humor and resignation, the locals have accepted that in summer, alongside the sun and water, there will always be a third guest on their beaches: the ubiquitous goose and its inevitable trace.
