From pencil-like forests of silver birch to towering Siberian pines, Finns have always loved their forests.

You might say they were born that way. From the cradle to the grave, long before contemporary "tree-hugging" culture, Finns and their forests were intertwined. The wood for the forests provided shelter, food, and fuel for their beloved saunas where midwives have birthed babies for the past two thousand years. The smell of wood is seared into every Finn's DNA and is one of their first scent memories. Most Finns naturally prefer to be buried in a plain pine box bringing the cycle full circle.

The long unforgiving Finnish winters forged strong resourceful people who turned their land of lakes and forests into global industries of lumber, paper and have influenced every aspect of design from the architecture of Alvar Aalto to the iconic to the fabric designs of Marimekko. The forests continue to inspire artists of every medium as a contemporary muse.

Finns takes their forests seriously. In 1909, The Finnish Society of Forest Science was founded to promote research into forest and wood science. The Lusto Finnish Forest Museum in Helsinki focuses on Finnish forest culture.

Most Finns grow up with a love of nature and forests which I believe gets passed down from generation to generation by osmosis, even if they aren't born in Finland. As a Canadian born to two Finnish parents my love of forests was instilled from day one by enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of forest flora and fauna.

Regarding the Finnish proverb or quote featured in the image: there are many variations of "The forest answers in the way you yell to it" translated from the Finnish Niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaan. Call it a boomerang effect—what goes around comes around or instant karma—Finns take their words and deeds seriously.

As all proverb or quotes that find themselves woven into a cultural landscape, each new generation adds another meaning or spin on its context.

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