Kerääjiin

Kerääjiin is a Finnish non‑profit organization established in 1985 to facilitate community‑based data collection and environmental monitoring across the Nordic region. The name derives from the Finnish verb “kerää”, meaning “to gather”, combined with the dative suffix “‑iin”, indicating focus on the recipients of the gathering activity. Its mission is to engage citizens, local governments, and research institutions in the systematic gathering of ecological, social, and economic data, providing a unified platform for analysis and reporting.

The group operates a network of volunteer teams who conduct field surveys, sensor deployments, and digital data entry. Projects have included the monitoring of water quality in the Baltic Sea, the tracking of urban biodiversity in Helsinki, and the survey of low‑carbon housing practices nationwide. Kerääjiin collaborates with universities such as the University of Helsinki and with environmental agencies like the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), ensuring that collected data adhere to nationally recognized standards.

Financing for Kerääjiin comes from a mix of government grants, private sponsorships, and subscription services offered to regional authorities. The organization publishes annual reports summarizing datasets, trend analyses, and policy recommendations. In addition, it hosts an annual conference that brings together policymakers, scientists, and community organizers.

Kerääjiin’s data portal, available in Finnish and English, provides open access to aggregated datasets under a Creative Commons license, encouraging secondary research and data-driven decision‑making. The organization is seen as a model for citizen science in Northern Europe, illustrating how collaborative data collection can support sustainable development goals and evidence‑based governance.