Birch bark. Legal or not?

[Jazqas]

I have been given some handicrafts made from birch bark. I heard from someone that it was illegal to tear bark off the trees to make things like this. Is it? I was planning to put some plants in them and put them outside, but will I get into trouble?

Ok that's two different questions I know, but I don't really want to get into too much trouble here so I thought I'd ask before I display some contraband for everyone to see....

Jazqas.

[Karhunkoski]

Own Trees = Do what the hell you want with them.

[Mattlill2000]

Own Trees = Do what the hell you want with them.

And if you don't own the trees, you could into trouble.

[Jazqas]

Kiitos guys, one less thing to worry about. Must remember to argue with the person that suggested it was naughty....

Jazqas.

[EP]

And remember that the tree may well have been cut down before the bark was taken. So it was dead already.

[Rosamunda]

Birch bark objects are for sale all over the place (Helsinki market place, Hakaniemi market place etc etc)

[otyikondo]

But juniper now seems to be a no-no. We were looking for some of the boxes you used to be able to find. Finished items, not like the coasters and trivets you see, and down at the market the general consensus was that they are off-limits these days, and if anyone has any of a decent size (boxes, and made of decent-sized pieces) they don't keep them out on show... I also read somewhere that the Finnish junipers were suffering from some strange ailment (apart from chainsawitis), and were somewhat threatened. Anybody heard anything on this?

Bit of a shame, as the boxes and trays were nice. Not so keen on the semi-finished coaster thingies, but they smell nice, too.

[Hank W.]

Yeah, I have a dozen or so junipers growing at the cottage - some serious 20m tall ones. A few years back there was a "rust" and I thought all of them would die, but it seems to have passed. I know a few "wild" places that the junipers were looking like heck but seem to be fairing OK now. There very much "rauhoitettuja" these days, so the only juniper I dare to use even is the definitely dead ones.

[Rosamunda]

We lost a few at the mökki after the dry summer (was it 2006?), they grow in dry upland forest, on thin soil on granite outcrops. So in very dry weather they are in trouble. I have a juniper "log" in my kitchen that the kids retrieved from the forest, it smells really good. I guess we should make it into something.

[SGJ]

Birch bark as such is in no way contraband. But tearing off bark out of somebody elses trees without permission is simply theft. No matter if the tree is already dead or not. As there is everyman's right to pick berries and mushrooms it is sometimes a debated subject what else you can pick. Ant's eggs were debated in press about a year ago whether you can take them or not. Apparently some people make good money for selling them to medicine industry. If I recall correctly the discussion ended in consensus that ant's eggs can be taken but you have to be careful not to destroy the nest. But trees, soil, bark, moss, lichen, tree seeds etc. are in the traditional list of things that belong to the land owner.

But the status of juniper as protected species is a myth. Previously there was a restriction that tree-like junipers coud not be cut for ornamental purposes. Cutting them for timber has always been allowed. (Note that Åland island may still have restrictions, not sure.) Story goes that there was a fashion trend to take junipers for christmas trees, that's why the peculiar ornamental use restriction. The trend fell out of fashion, but nobody bothered to repeal the law until 2006.

[Hank W.]

Well, its good if people get that "wrong" as junipers are pretty hard to get growing... in Estonia they BTW use juniper whisks in the sauna. Quite interesting.

So what to take and what not to take.. you can't take sh*t Talonpoika älköön talosta muuttaessansa viekö tilalta tuohia, aidaksia, turpeita, polttopuita, hirsiä eikä mitään muutakaan, mitä hän talon tiluksilta on ottanut; ei myöskään sontaa.