Kopista oppia

Supporting forest machine operators in water protection  

The Kopista oppia project brings existing knowledge into practical use by increasing concrete and practical expertise in water protection measures, particularly at logging, soil preparation, and ditching sites. Research-based training materials on water protection that are suitable for worksite use will be introduced into practice.

In addition, the project ensures the visibility and use of materials produced in the KOPPI (Practical lessons for machine operators) project, especially among machine operators and training organizations. The project focuses on the Gulf of Finland and Archipelago Sea catchment areas, where reducing environmental load and impacts on water bodies is particularly important.

Improving contractors’ skills and work quality while reducing water pollution

Sharing information with forestry machine operators supports the sustainable use of forests and biodiversity. The project improves the usability and visibility of materials that support water protection by machine operators and significantly promotes their implementation in practical fieldwork.

The mere existence of materials does not guarantee impact. The material should be practical to use and those working in the field must know about it. The Kopista oppia project addresses this challenge. Effective communication and an approach tailored to forest machinery contractors are therefore needed to ensure that existing knowledge is translated into practice.

From interviews to practical implementation 

In 2024, BSAG conducted extensive interviews across the forest sector—from practical logging operators to researchers, authorities, and industrial companies. Many stakeholders raised concerns about the time and knowledge constraints faced by practitioners in logging, soil preparation, and ditching operations.

Forest machine and excavator operators have very limited time for training, and contracts are often highly time-pressured. Training materials were perceived as difficult to use and sometimes lacking in content. Companies are willing to increase their water responsibility and expressed a need for suitable training materials.

Through the Kopista oppia project, we ensure that the best training materials are easy to find and widely recognized within the sector.