In 2025, the Rafael Kuusakoski Memorial Fund awarded one working grant and seven additional scholarships, totalling €25,200 in funding.

The Rafael Kuusakoski Memorial Fund, established in 2000, is dedicated to supporting young researchers, particularly those working on projects related to Baltic Sea birdlife, the ecology and biodiversity of the archipelago, marine ecology, climate, and landscape conservation.

This year, scholarships were awarded as follows:

• Working Grant from the Rafael Kuusakoski Memorial Fund: MSc Sebastian Andrejeff, for his doctoral research “The Impact of Invasive Predators on Endangered Wetland Birds”, €13,200
• BSc Mikko Kaasinen, for his Master’s thesis “Mapping the Genetic Diversity of Baltic Herring Populations by Region in the Bothnian Bay, Archipelago Sea, and Southern Baltic Sea”, €1,000
• Kirkkonummi Environmental Association, for Porkkala Bird Week 2025, €2,000
• BSc Jenni Kylmänen, for her Master’s thesis “Hidden Diversity in Åland’s Traditional Biotopes: Mosses in Soil Spore Banks and Their Dependence on Grazing, Soil Quality, and Meadow Patch Size”, €1,500
• MSc Viivi Lindholm, for her doctoral research “The Effects of Small Deer Species on Plant Communities and Ecosystem Functions in the Open Traditional Biotopes of Southwest Finland”, €2,500
• The Baltic Sea Group of The Finnish Nature Association, for their restoration and environmental activity camp, €2,500
• BSc Alice Nozais, for her Master’s thesis “The impact of invasive species Rhithropanopeus harrisii on the native communities in the Åland Islands and Archipelago Sea, in light of climate change”, €1,000
• MEd Jenni Sipola and Ville Haavisto, for their environmental education project Connection to Nature as Support for Dialogical Integration €1,500

In total, the Finnish Foundation for Nature Conservation awarded €68,200 to 26 different projects this year. Alongside the Rafael Kuusakoski Memorial Fund, grants were also awarded from the Baltic Sea Fund and the Nature Conservation Fund. A total of 202 applications were received.

Read more: https://luonnonsuojelunsaatio.fi/in-english/