Organised in Finland since 1980, The Landscape and Technology Expo Viherpäivät brings together around 1500 green professionals and has established itself as the most important training, exhibition and networking event in the green industry. Each year, the event also attracts experts from around the world to lecture on topical issues in the green and environmental sector.
As Finland’s centre of vocational excellence (CoVE), as part of the European Platform for Urban Greening, we have found it important to participate in this event. We have presented the activities of the platform from both ragional and an international perspective, and we have also invited experts from the network to come to Finland to give lectures. This is knowledge sharing and networking at its best!
Theme in 2023: MetroMap of Knowledge – Change Starts Here
Last year our exhibition stand featured Finland’s CoVE partners, AhlmanEdu and VRJ Group, as well as the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA). We presented upcoming courses in green sector with brochures and visitors could mark on an interactive metro map which courses they were interested in.
Among other things, we told visitors about the following training courses:
- Soil food web 4
- BIOgardener and BIOgardener PRO
- Edible forest garden
- Perennials and edible plants
- Identifying natural plants
- Raised-bed garden
- EQF levels as a tool for coherence
- Maintenance of dynamic plantations
- Vertical green
- Stream water training
- Ecological compensation
- Training in the installation of slates
- Maintenance training
- Fleet maintenance training
- Small machine training
- Tree maintenance and pruning training
- Tree planting training
- Measurement training
- Drawing reading skills
- Activity and play equipment installation training
- Stormwater engineering training
- Water management in construction training
- Training for participating supervisors
We gained valuable information for planning future trainings and courses. The ELCA, for its part, informed visitors about its exchange programme, which supports lifelong learning in the green sector. Take a look at the metro map of courses here.
Harviala, in cooperation with SemperGreen and VRJ Group, organised a pre-seminar on future solutions for plant canopies and plant cover structures at Viherpäivät 2023. We gave a presentation at the Green Arena, where we introduced the European Platform for Urban Greening project and talked about the following topics: Why invest in education? Why invest in education? Why invest in education? What is CoVE and why are there different partnerships in CoVE? What does CoVE offer (e.g. trainings, Elca exchange), what do we want to train in the future?
In addition, from our international network, Lars van Ginkel and Wim van Ginkel from Koninklijke Ginkel Groep came to the event to give a lecture. Their lecture was entitled “Case study of the project Wonderwoods”. The second presentation “Early Involvement and Long-term Partnership with Customers – New Approaches and Nature-based Solutions to Work With Climate Adaptation in Idverde Company” was given by Kristoffer Sindby from OKNygaard.
Theme for 2024 is the light of knowledge – Let the knowledge flow
This year Viherpäivät will be organized in 14.-15. February 2024 in Jyväskylä, Finland. As a CoVE, we will participate in Viherpäivät again this year. The 2024 theme “Green Reciprocity – Well-being for Both” will reflect on the importance of reciprocity in the green sector. How can we better take into account the green environment and what can we offer the environment in return for the services it provides to people?
The theme of our stand is the light of knowledge. This year we will again present upcoming training courses for green professionals. You can also discover new learning solutions and a virtual learning environment. We also want to stimulate debate on issues such as why self-development is important and how we can better serve businesses in their challenges.
This year’s Viherpäivät will also provide information on current global projects, good practices and successful examples of the interaction between people and the green environment. The programme of seminars will focus on green citizenship through different themes.
This year’s lecturers will again include a wide range of experts from the field, working as part of the European Platform for Urban Greening. Soil Food Web expert Dora Tkalec from AhlmanEdu will talk about the world of the soil food web and its impact on the whole ecosystem. Henrik Bos from VRJ Group will lecture on how biodiversity and nature-based solutions have become part of the green builder’s everyday life. In addition, project partner Laura Roebroeck will talk about the relationship between nature and people. Jere Nieminen from the Wild Zone Association, who works closely with our Centre of Vocational Excellence, will also give a speak.
Through this extensive network of experts, we will benefit and share both knowledge and expertise!
Read more about the upcoming Viherpäivät exhibition here.
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