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Rokua Geopark Rangers

Rokua Geopark Rangers are professionals trained in the natural and cultural heritage of our region as well as in the principles of responsible guiding. Rangers come from a wide range of professional backgrounds — including tourism entrepreneurs, educators, sports and outdoor instructors, tour guides, and more — making the group highly multidisciplinary. Explore the profiles below to learn more!

Päivi Metsola

Hello, I’m Päivi Metsola — over 50 years of life experience, pockets full of stories, and always a bit of forest in my shoes.

I’m an outdoor and nature person who knows when a campfire lights with a single match — and when it’s wiser to make coffee with a backup plan.

My background is in youth work, community education, nature guiding, environmental education, and adventure guiding. In practice, this means I know how to inspire, guide, calm, and encourage people, and how to make a nature adventure feel both safe and fun.

I work as an entrepreneur in the tourism sector. I provide guided outdoor and nature experiences in the Rokua Geopark region and also run my own pub. I also organize wilderness meals — nature creates the atmosphere, and I take care of the rest.

I serve fluently in Finnish and English, and when needed, even with gestures — in nature and around a campfire, all languages tend to work well.

If you’re looking for a guide who truly knows the forest, with soil under her nails, a twinkle in her eye, and a genuine love for nature — someone who believes adventure often begins with a small step on a path — you’ve found the right Päivi 😊

Example destinations:
Lemmenpolku Trail, Rokua National Park, Kankari’s Isokivi Boulder, Ahmala, Kauvonsaari Island, canoeing on the Oulujoki River

Contact:
https://www.geo-x-on.fi/
activecamping@gmail.com
+358 50 548 2417

Asko Meriläinen

I am Dr. Asko Merilä, CEO of Merilän Kartano. I manage the company’s operations and procure all the services we provide. In addition to Ranger guiding experiences, Merilän Kartano offers hotel and accommodation services, sauna facilities, and event venues.

From the Merilä riverbank cliff, historical boat pilots once set off to guide tar and tourist boats down to Muhos, 60 meters below. Today, Ranger guiding may take place as a boat captain on a rental boat or as an excursion guide along the Oulujoki River and its shores. The river’s history, dating back to the 1500s, includes both the era of tar transport and the early days of tourism.

In the present day, Ranger guiding can also be storytelling by the Oulujoki riverside at our approximately 60-person campfire hut and scenic sauna, sharing the history of the Merilä farm. Guiding may also take place in a traditional church boat on the Oulujoki River or during cycling tours along the modern riverbank ridges with rest stops along the way.

Guiding languages are Finnish and English. Today’s technology can also automatically translate Finnish into nearly any language.

Example themes and destinations:
History of the Oulujoki River; tar transport; Oulujoki as Finland’s first and finest packaged whitewater tourism river; hiking or cycling excursions into nature from Merilä; Merilä sauna village services; boat excursions as a rental boat captain on the Oulu or Kiiminki Rivers or on Lake Oulujärvi.

Contact:
https://merilankartano.com/
asko.merila@gmail.com
+358 500 298 042

Pirkko Laitinen

I am Pirkko Laitinen, a Rokua Geopark Ranger, agronomist, and entrepreneur providing accommodation and event services at Utajärvi Vicarage.

I offer guided tours in the Rokua Geopark area, focusing especially on the cultural and natural sites of Utajärvi. My primary guiding language is Finnish, with English and Swedish available when needed.

Example destinations:
Cultural heritage sites in Utajärvi, especially Utajärvi Vicarage and local cemeteries.

Contact:
https://www.utajarvenpappila.com
+358 50 013 7831
pirkko.laitinen@utajarvenpappila.com