Professional
Phytoplankton workshop for professionals 3.-4.6.2025
– To identify or not to identify? –
Euglenoids
For the third time already, a workshop on phytoplankton identification will be held on Kemiö Island, Finland. This year we will concentrate on euglenoids, but other plankton algae are also discussed.
Lectures will be Professor Bożena Zakryś and Dr Maja Łukomska-Kowalczyk.
The workshop is organized by Company Zwerver.
Along with Satu Zwerver also
Päivi Hakanen and Enikő Török-Krasznai
will take care of the practical arrangements .
Our workshop aims to fulfill both the need of microscoping and discussing phytoplankton identification problems together and the theoretical background on identifying and microscoping as well as taxonomy and ecology. Participants are welcome to bring their own samples and photos, also on any other phytoplankton group they wish to discuss during the workshop. There will be microscopes and literature on site, with the possibility to take photos with a microscope and display a microscope image on the wall.
During the workshop a new kind of visual based plankton algae identification key will also be presented.
The program will consist of theory and practical work, topped off with valuable discussions between participants. All this will be compiled into a PDF file to be delivered to participants afterwards, with photographs and drawings of the species and taxa discussed, to aid future identification.
You find the preliminary program here.
Group size: 10-15
Place: Bjärkas gård, Västanfjärdintie 655, 25840 Nivelax, Kemiönsaari.
Bjärkas gård is a traditional island farm dating back to the 1600s. The current generation has moved on from shipping and farming to accommodation, catering and golf courses. The participants will stay in the building pictured below. There are 5 apartments with all together 15 beds. Two apartments with two separate bedrooms, each with 2 beds and two apartments with 2 bedrooms with 2 beds + one bedroom with 3 beds.
Target group: Professional phytoplankton analysts.
Dates: Tuesday-Wednesday 3.-4.6. 2025. Arrive on Monday 2nd.
Time: 9 – 18 both days.
Price: 585 € + eventual VAT 25,5% / person.
Including: 2 nights (Mon-Tue + Tue-Wed) accommodation in a double room, snacks on arrival evening, 2x breakfast, 2x lunch, 1x dinner, course facilities, teaching, teaching material, identification app, use of sauna, coffee breaks.
Language: English.
Other: Bring your own samples and/or photographs.
If there are more than 15 registrations those with more years of experience will be given priority.
Registration: Please find the registration form here.
Deadline 24 April 2025.
Invoice for participation will be sent in week 18, paying time 14 days. In case of cancellation, a full refund will be given if cancellation is made at least 4 weeks before the workshop (6.5.2025). Cancellation between 4 and 2 weeks before the workshop will give a refund of 50%, a later cancellation none at all.
If you want to stay at Bjärkas gård for more nights, please contact them and make reservation there: bjarkas@bjarkas.com.
Travelling to Bjärkas
The island of Kemiö is about 160 km west from Helsinki and 60 km south-east from Turku. The venue itself is slightly remote and there are no direct public transport all the way to Bjärkas, but in case you are coming with the bus, you will be picked up from the nearest bus stop (7 km away). Please let me know if you are in need of transport for the last kilometers. If some people are coming with the car from Helsinki we might be able to organize carpooling. Please let me know if you interested in offering transport or in need of it.
The summer time tables for the buses will come into force on the very day of your arrival, 2.6., so there are no valid time tables at the moment. The times will be about the same, but summer brings some changes. If you want to know more about the public transport possibilities, just ask!
Info about the public transport:
There are two ways to get to the island with public transport: via Salo or via Turku. You can take the bus or the train from Helsinki to Salo or Turku, and then a bus further to the island of Kemiö. There is no train connection to the island. Salo is on the way to Turku, but there are more connections from Turku to the island of Kemiö. The bus stop you need to step out is Västanfjärd crossroads.
Train timetables
Direct bus to Turku from Helsinki airport
Bus Helsinki-Turku
Bus Turku-Kemiönsaari
Bus Helsinki-Salo
Bus Salo-Kemiönsaari
Train:
If you take the train to Salo or Turku, you must first go to the center of Helsinki – with a train, metro or bus. There are trains leaving from the central station in Helsinki at 5 past half every hour till 18.35. From Salo or Turku you need to take a bus to the island. In Salo the train station is quite near to the bus station, in Turku you need to reserve about 15 minutes to reach the bus station (850 m). Here is the link to the trains between Helsinki and Turku on 2.6.2025 on Finnish railway service site. The last bus to Kemiö island from Turku leaves at 21.00.
Bus:
Via Turku directly from the Helsinki airport:
There are direct buses from the Helsinki airport to Turku. At the moment there are 4 direct buses on the Monday afternoon. From Turku you have to take another bus to the island of Kemiö. This bus is leaving from the platform 3 on the central bus station. The bus stop you need to step out is Västanfjärd crossroads. The last bus to Kemiö island from Turku leaves at 21.00.
The direct buses go pass Salo, but they stop far away from the center of this city, so you better stay in the bus all the way to Turku.
Via Turku from the center of Helsinki:
You first have to get from the airport to the city center by train, metro or bus. There are buses leaving every hour till 6 pm (at the moment!) to Turku. The bus leaving at 16.15 from Helsinki is the latest with a connection to the last Kemiö island bus. From Turku you have to take another bus to the island of Kemiö. This bus is leaving from the platform 3 on the central bus station. The bus stop you need to step out is Västanfjärd crossroads. The last bus to Kemiö island from Turku leaves at 21.00.
Via Salo:
If you want to travel by bus to Salo you need to take the bus from the center of Helsinki, Kamppi. You get to the city center by train, metro or bus. The last bus from Salo to Kemiö island leaves (at the moment) at 16.25. The bus stop you need to step out is Västanfjärd crossroads
More information? Just ask: info@zwerver.fi
– Information will be updated –
Information about the island of Kemiö
The island of Kemiö is the biggest island on the coast, about 550 km2, about 50 km long and 25 km wide. And then… there are the hundreds of small and tiny rocky islands around the main island. We do have a bridge, actually two, so you don’t have to take a boat to the island. If you want, you can take the ferry (free) from Kokkila and then you arrive to the most northern part of the island.
The population of the municipality is about 6500 persons. This place is official bilingual. About 70% of the people speak Swedish as their mother tongue, the rest are speaking Finnish. I am talking about the island of Kemiö, the Swedish speaking use the name Kimito. But we all know what we are talking about. 🙂
This year our municipality is celebrating the 700 year jubilee.
If you are staying a bit longer, I am sure you will find nice things to see and to do on the island. Take a look at the visitors site: https://www.visitkimitoon.fi/en/ where you find the events calendar, map of activities and accommodation.
I hope you enjoy your stay on the island of Kemiö in every way!
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Phytoplankton workshop for professionals 2 days – 2024
– To identify or not to identify? –
18th and 19th of June
For the second time, a workshop on phytoplankton identification will be held on Kemiö Island, Finland. This year there is a special group of algae we concentrate on – cryptomonads.
Our workshop aims to fulfill both the need of microscoping and discussing phytoplankton identification problems together as well as the theoretical background on identifying and microscoping, the emphasis being on practical identification. Although the theme of the year is cryptomonads the participants are welcome to take their own samples and photo’s on any other phytoplankton group they wish to discuss during the workshop.
Our Hungarian colleagues will present their new cryptomonads identification key (under construction), tell us about the origin of these fascinating creatures and about the phytoplankton work carried out at Pandorina Ltd.
Meet the lecturers and organizers here.
The programme will consist of theory and practical work, topped off with valuable discussions between participants. All this will be compiled into a PDF file to be delivered to participants afterwards, with photographs and drawings of the species and taxa discussed, to aid future identification. The workshop will focus on identification, ecology will not be so central to this workshop.
Click here for a preliminary programme
Group size: 8-12
Place: Storfinnhova gård, Finnhovantie 163, 25860 Björkboda, Kemiönsaari.
Target group: professional phytoplankton analysts
Dates: Tue-Wed 18.-19.6. 2024
Time: 9 – 18
Price: 200 € + 24% VAT, includes the program, supplies, facilities, coffee, dinner and sauna on Tuesday and a post-workshop summary of the species discussed in the workshop. Lunch is self-catered.
Language: English
Other: Bring your own samples and/or photographs. You can also send photos of the Cryptomonads to the organisers (beres.viktoria@gmail.com) in advance. Include the name of the species (if known), dimensions, sampling location and time. Maximum 15 photos per participant. This will allow us to prepare a presentation specifically of interest to participants.
Registration: no later than 24 May 2024. info@zwerver.fi
Invoice for participation will be sent in week 22. In case of cancellation, a full refund will be given if cancellation is made at least 2 weeks before the workshop (4.6.2024). After that, 50% will be refunded.
The venue: Storfinnhova gård
Accommodation, lunch and dinner: please arrange accommodation and meals directly with Storfinnhova gård. Telephone: +358400539238 or e-mail: info@storfinnhova.com
Possibility to book an extra night before and after the workshop.
3-night package – 309 €/person (Mon-Tue-Wed or Tue-Thu)
- Breakfast self-service or buffet breakfast
- Lunch on two days (Tue + Wed)
- Dinner on two days (Mon + Wed)
- Overnight stay in double rooms in the farm’s villas
2-night package – 210 €/person (Mon-Tues-Thurs)
- Lunch on two days (Tue + Wed)
- Breakfast self-service or buffet breakfast on both days
- Dinner one evening (Mon)
- Overnight stay in double rooms in the farm’s villas
One-night package – 109 €/person
- Breakfast served or buffet breakfast
- Lunch on two days (Tue + Wed)
- Overnight in double rooms in the farm’s villas
– Accommodation prices include VAT. –
Transport to Storfinnhova
You can reach the venue with a bus from Helsinki or Turku.
From the bus stop there is a 1,5 km walk to Storfinnhova. Transport can be arranged.
Take a look at the bus time tables here:
Helsinki main bus station – Björkboda (1-2 transfers) 175 km
Helsinki airport – Björkboda (2 transfers) 187 km
Turku bus station – Björkboda 80 km
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