Saturday, September 13, 2025
Live on the City of Kuusamo’s official YouTube channel
Free
KUUSAMO NATURE LIVE – Step into the Wilderness of the Future!
Join us for a unique live-streamed nature experience guided by renowned Kuusamo-based nature photographer Mikko Oivukka. This special broadcast takes you deep into the vibrant autumn wilderness of Kuusamo, straight from your home — or even during breakfast!
Mikko works as a guide for Kuusamo Nature Photography, a local eco-tourism company offering photography hides, guided nature photography tours, and birdwatching trips for visitors in the region. From the comfort of their specially designed hides, guests can photograph iconic species such as golden eagles, black grouse, western capercaillies, whooper swans, cranes, and many more. Kuusamo’s stunning landscapes come alive in unforgettable images captured with an expert guide by your side.
The live stream of KUUSAMO NATURE LIVE takes place in a hide designed specifically for eagle photography, located amidst the fells with breathtaking views over the Oulankajoki River canyon.
This is more than just a stream – it’s a full-on nature experience that brings the wild directly to you, no matter where you are. It’s open to everyone who has a passion for nature, photography, or the stunning beauty of Kuusamo. Nature photography is not only an art form – it’s documentation, inspiration, and conservation. AI, drones, and new technologies are creating new ways to capture the wilderness of the future and make remote areas more accessible than ever – even from your own sofa.
KUUSAMO NATURE LIVE invites you to observe rare and shy bird species that inhabit Oulanka National Park – creatures that are nearly impossible to approach up close. During this hour-long broadcast, Mikko shares fascinating stories behind his nature images and reveals the hidden secrets of the northern wilderness ecosystems. At the end, viewers can join a live chat to ask Mikko questions about nature photography – or discuss their own thoughts on the future of the wild.
The stream is scheduled for the morning before the main festival program begins, so even on-site participants can enjoy the broadcast live — for example, over breakfast! Exact time to be announced closer to the date. The stream will also be available as a recording afterward, so you can enjoy it anytime that suits you.
KUUSAMO NATURE LIVE is part of the Kuusamo Nature Photo Festival and has been created in close collaboration with the event’s partners. The idea for this hybrid production was developed by Anne-Mari Ahola as part of the The Hybrid event producer 2026 project, which has trained professionals from the fields of culture, events, and media in hybrid and remote production throughout the 2024–2025 academic year. The aim of the project is to make nature and cultural experiences more accessible – easily, digitally, and for everyone.
Oulu2026’s goal is to ensure that the majority of the European Capital of Culture events are accessible in immersive hybrid formats. One of the key reasons for promoting hybrid events is to improve accessibility: through digital means, cultural experiences can also be delivered to places like care homes, where residents may not be able to attend in person.
Let Kuusamo’s wilderness enchant you – in a whole new way!
Explore Mikko Oivukka’s website
