The upcoming nature reserve would be located along the Mätäjoki Stream in Tali, next to the Tali Golf Course. Its area is 16.2 hectares. The area includes a herb-rich grove forest surrounding the Mätäjoki stream and its flood meadow. To the south, the area is delimited to the reed and flood meadow area between the golf course and Iso Huopalahti Bay, the mesic grove and somewhat grove-like heath forest. The western part of the area features an extensive area of abundant grassy flood meadows. The southeastern edge features an old spruce grove and a grove-like heath forest. There is a lot of hardwood in the area, including birch and maple.
Further east along the Mätäjoki stream, near the golf course, there is a deciduous grove, the trees of which are mostly black alder. There are also planted poplars, mountain elm, maples, and common ash near the community garden.
The western part of the nature reserve is one of Helsinki’s valuable, class I bird sites. The area has not been included forest management activities for a long time. Due to the abundant decaying wood, many woodpeckers thrive in the area. Caped caterpillar and white caterpillar, among other things, make their nests in the shrubs of the area.
The abundant decaying wood also makes the area an excellent site for conk. The range of species includes near-threatened and regionally endangered species, as well as several other demanding conk and crust fungi species that are indicative of rare or valuable forest habitats in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The nature preservation measures proposed for the area include measures to prevent non-native species in large areas and measures to improve the habitats of streamwater species. Movement is diverted away from sites that are most sensitive to wear and those that feature the most valuable vegetation and birds. Safety is improved with new signs, trail markings, closing paths from the forest to the golf course with barrier fences and by placing warning signs.
In addition to nature conservation, the objective of the maintenance and use plan is to guide the recreational use of the area in order to preserve biodiversity. In implementing the care measures, the aim is to use methods and care equipment that damage nature as little as possible. The maintenance and use plan was prepared by Luontoselvitys Metsänen Oy and Ympäristötutkimus Yrjölä Oy.
