Report of a Symposium: “Relations with Nature”

The symposium was a cross-disciplinary academic event focusing on contemporary understandings of human–nature relations from feminist, posthumanist, ecological, Arctic health, and artistic perspectives. Bringing together more than 25 scholars, artists, and writers, the event aimed to deepen and diversify conceptual and experiential approaches to environmental change, ecological justice, ecofeminism, health and well-being, and multispecies coexistence.

Ecofeminism, Being in Nature, Well-being, and a Call for Slow Methods

The symposium opened with Adjunct Professor Maria Suutala, a pioneering Finnish ecofeminist, who traced the history and future of ecofeminism in Finland. Suutala described how the movement gained momentum in the 1970s, when women, including herself, were active in various forms of environmental and social activism. At the time, the core idea was that women could not be liberated until animals, too, were free. Today, ecofeminism has expanded to include people of all genders, as well as all living beings. At its heart lies a simple yet radical premise: it is enough to be, and to love—to love nature and to love oneself.

Photographer Kati Leinonen brought the audience close to nature, to the ocean and seaweed, through her experimental photographic work. She explores how landscapes shape human experience and how being in nature is fundamentally a bodily encounter. In her project, both the landscape and the seaweed take on an active, co-creative role in the artistic process. The method is intentionally slow, forming a deliberate and meaningful part of the work itself.

Ethnologist Dr. Kirsi Sonck-Rautio presented a research project on nature experiences as part of well-being among older adults living in remote areas of Finland. The project, Ageing with Nature, led by Adjunct professor, University Lecturer Dr. Tiina Suopajärvi, examines factors that enhance well-being among people over the age of 65. The findings highlight the profound importance of nature and the environment. Although harsh weather conditions sometimes prevent older adults from going outdoors, movement in nature and physical activity within it are essential pillars of their well-being.

Adjunct Professor, University Lecturer, and Researcher Dr. Suvi Pihkala, together with Doctoral Researcher Tiina Lempinen from the University of Oulu, spoke about alternative ways of knowing and producing knowledge. They explored unsettling or disturbing encounters with other animals and reflected on what such moments reveal about human–nature relationships. The audience was guided through evocative encounters: a taxidermied giraffe in a museum, a dead swan, and immersive dioramas in a nature centre. Pihkala and Lempinen argued that material, embodied, and affective ways of knowing are crucial. They emphasized the importance of lingering (viipyillä) with troubling moments and with data.

Finally, Professor Arja Rautio spoke about the One Health approach in the Arctic. One Health recognizes the deep interconnectedness between the health of humans, wildlife, and the environment: when one suffers, all are affected. Rautio presented findings from long-term research on permafrost thaw and pollution, illustrating how environmental changes ripple through Arctic ecosystems and communities.

Essential Interconnections

The symposium revealed how intimately human lives and well-being, and ill-being, are entangled with the more-than-human world, encompassing the environment, humans, and other animals. By embracing slower methods, embodied encounters, and diverse ways of knowing, including Indigenous and local knowledge, we open ourselves to more compassionate and sustainable relationships with the Arctic and beyond.

The University of Oulu Research Professionals OUTI sponsored the symposium.