The Nature Club Dracula

Finland was totally different in the 70´s. The young people of those days were sons and daughters of the sons and daughters of the Second World War. Grey and brown were the colors of our country, colors of rust and oblivion. There we were, me and my friends, living between our neighbouring countries, the closed Soviet Union and the rich and happy Sweden. Europe was far away. We were heading to our future.

Nature conservation was unfamiliar to us as an organized activity. But we smelt something was wrong with...everything.

We had to wake up! Not at least for our own lifes but for The Nature too! So we founded the Nature Club Dracula to save the owls of the forest of Manni, the breams (Abramis brama) of the lake Tuusulanjärvi and the chubs (Squalius cephalus) and the gudgeons (Gobio gobio) of the river Keravanjoki. By doing that we also had some diminutive possibility to save ourselves.

Through hopeless and absurd demonstrations we wanted to attack against the indifferent of mankind. At the same time for many of us, at least for me, it was the battle against my inner conflicts, dilemmas and paradoxes. I had not yet heard about performance art. I knew nothing about it. But the actions of The Nature Club Dracula offered me the first stage for expression. It was possible to say something even then you have the feeling of knowing nothing, beeing incapable for rational discussion, facing overwhelming windmills...

  To the end of my life I´ll be greatfull for the founders of the nature club, and the next generation too! They told me what´s the meaning of gudgeons (Gobio gobio), performance art and life!

If you, my dearest reader, sometimes want to know more about The Nature Club Dracula, I recommend you to arrive Finland and contact Mr. Esa Kallio, the Chairman of The Nature Club Dracula. Propably Mr. Kallio is working with some history project, but don´t hesitate, you will find him and he will guide you on the right path! Less is better!