Estonian agency closes rural nature center in state cost-cutting move
The Environmental Board has closed Endla Nature Center in Jõgeva County to cut costs, ending decades of research and nature education in the local community.
Located in the village of Tooma, Endla Nature Center hosted its final children's summer camps last month. With staff already reassigned or laid off, only moving boxes remain in the building now, awaiting transfer to the State Forest Management Center (RMK) or the Estonian Museum of Natural History in Tallinn.
Elo Raspel, a public relations specialist at the Environmental Board who had led nature education programs at the center for nearly 15 years, said the building's staff had already dwindled to three people before the closure, but the center nonetheless played a major role in local environmental education efforts.
"The building had a strong focus on nature education," Raspel said. "We offered a lot of educational programs here, and schoolchildren visited throughout the year."
She noted that the center also hosted an exhibition for visitors of all ages, which was revamped in 2013 to be more kid-friendly.
Environmental Board deputy director general Leelo Kukk said the closure is part of broader state cost-cutting, which has slashed the agency's spending by €3 million in recent years. Other offices, including in Otepää, Karula and Palmse, have also been closed, and about 60 staff members — or roughly 10 percent — have been let go.
"Endla has cost us €82,000 a year, and saving that money would have meant laying off three people just to keep the building running," she said.
Both Raspel and Kukk said the decline in environmental education providers will also reduce the overall quality of programs.
'Soon there won't be anyone left'
Neighbors also worry about the broader community impact.
Voldemar Ilves, who lives on an adjacent property, said the closure removes a local attraction as well as jobs, noting that nearby institutions help keep people in the area.
"What's sad is that it's closing now, or the state won't find a solution to keep it running," Ilves said, adding that while some local stores remain, the village may not be around for much longer as people, stores and services continue consolidating toward Tartu or Tallinn.
"Maybe soon there won't be anyone left here," he added. "We'll all move to the city, and only come visit the bog in summer. At least the bog will remain, as far as I understand."
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Aili Vahtla
