On 17 February 2022, we had an award ceremony to thank outstanding managers of semi-natural meadows, those who have made a great contribution to the preserve and restore semi-natural habitats of Estonia. Among the nominees was Erik Jakob Söderberg from Pakri Island, who tells his story in English.

The story of Erik Jakob Söderberg’s return to the island where his grandmother was born speaks for itself! Together with his friend, Urmas Sepp, and a herd of 300–400 cattles, Erik takes care of the most compact and largest alvar in Estonia, located on the Pakri Islands. A total of 1 098 hectares of land is being restored and maintained.

Cattle – the exact number of which is unknown – roam freely in the wild; most of the year, bulls are on one island and cows and heifers on another. Occasionally, they are allowed to mingle!

In the video, Erik discusses how to get started and not break your neck in the process! And I doubt there is anyone who would not add the Pakri Islands to their list of summer destinations after watching this video!