Explore the Viiankiaapa pages and plan a trip to the mire. The area offers trails, campfire sites and information boards, which describe the area’s unique mire nature and how to get around there. Viiankiaapa is one of the most outstanding aapa mires in the Sodankylä area. Diverse mire nature and a wide range of bird species make Viiankiaapa a fascinating destination for day trips all year round.
Numerous plant and bird species classified as threatened or near-threatened have been found in the area. The bird population is abundant: sightings have been made of 90 bird species. The traditional uses of the site include reindeer husbandry, hunting, berry-picking and recreation. For hikers, Viiankiaapa offers an excellent destination for day trips. There are two nature trails with campfire sites in the area.
In summer 2010, the Natural Heritage Services of Metsähallitus surveyed the species in Viiankiaapa, in collaboration with mining company Anglo American. An abundance of the vulnerable slender green feather-moss [Drepanocladus (Hamatocaulis) vernicosus] was discovered in the survey. In addition, there was one occurrence of the endangered and strictly protected meesia moss (Meesia longiseta). Both are valuable Habitats Directive species on the European scale. The vulnerable Moerckia hibernica moss and regionally threatened liverworts were also found in the area. In the summer survey, threatened moss species were observed at as many as 227 sites.
The mining company Anglo American has been carrying out ore prospecting in Viiankiaapa for several years. Viiankiaapa is a mire reserve and part of the Natura 2000 network.
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