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Report for Kiideva Village Community and Nature Tourism: 'As We to Nature, so Nature to Us'

This project was made possible through the support of ECOLOGIA's Baltic Mini-Grant Program.

March 2003

The main objective of the Kiideva Village Society is to retain and to reactivate village life and to assist in creating an harmonic development for the community. In doing so, the society is active in recreating and protecting the specific nature of the area and its historical heritage - aiming also at supporting the development of nature tourism.

Thanks to economic support from "The Virtual Foundation", "Kohaliku Omaalgatus" and "KIK", the first stage of a nature educational trail from Kiideva to Puise was completed in the year 2002. Direction signs were made and placed along the trail, informative posters were prepared and erected - these posters give information about locations along the north shore of the Matsalu bay where nature is particularly interesting and beautiful. Further - a pamphlet presenting the Kiideva village was printed [See sample page, below] and the Kiideva internet web page was opened - www.kiideva.ee During the season, three voluntary work camps were held.

With assistance from "The Virtual Foundation", we were able to clear the camping area from brush, restoring the meadow. The access road was upgraded, a toilet was built, and materials for an open air fireplace and for a smoke oven were received. Camps for voluntary workers engaged in clearing the brush were arranged. Two unemployed persons were employed for seasonal work, and the local population had the opportunity to sell farming produce and national handicrafts to the campers and to tourists.

This is an ongoing project and the village development plan contains activities continuing into the year 2006. The second stage of the Kiideva-Puise nature educational trail will include erection of further information posters, clearing of brush and restoring of meadows, erecting reed huts and small reed cottages for ornithologists and other nature tourists. Educational and voluntary workers camps will continue to be held. The main objectives for these camps are to train and educate people to think and act in close harmony with nature - the clearing of meadows etc. is of course a bonus.

Project Manager: Tiiu Tominagas, Kiideva Village Society

Below: a page from the pamphlet shows the location of Kiideva village with respect to Saaremaa, the largest island on the west coast of Estonia, and some features of the newly created museum.

Photo below: The village welcomes visitors, even in wintertime.

Budget Report

While carrying out this work, the following expenses (listed in Estonian Kroons) were made:
Power saw and trimer's cost 687.-
Building latrines and renovating sauna 3045.-
Camping place and materials for smokestove 1382.90
Catering for people participating in a bee (work) camp and tools for them 1000.70
Phone expenses 161.65
Petrol expenses:
Transporting participants in the bee (work camp) 189.20
While organizing the bee 433.-
Mowing by trimmer 200.15
Cutting the brushwood 351.95
Cutting and shaping the poplars 328.75
Total Expenses 7780.30
Income Support: Co-financing by Ridala Parish1850.-
Volunteers: Cutting the brushwood and poplars, done by bee participants and village people