Planting Seeds of Change
From Global Tree Planting
to Growing Peace
Mika Vanhanen is a Finnish educator, peacebuilder and digital learning pioneer, whose work has shaped global sustainability education for over 25 years.
He founded ENO – Environment Online in 2000, a global school network that was already practicing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) before the term was formally introduced by the United Nations. ENO has since connected over 10,000 schools in 157 countries, empowering students to take real environmental action – from tree planting campaigns to global virtual learning.
With over 30 million trees planted, and decades of collaboration with communities, cities and UN agencies, Mika has continuously brought together values-based education, digital innovation and grassroots engagement.
Today, his work culminates in Peace Circle® – a compact, replicable model for intergenerational learning, local peacebuilding and biodiversity in urban spaces. Peace Circle brings people together to plant, reflect, and co-create shared spaces of care – both physical and digital.
“Peace for Mother Earth. Peace for everybody.”
👉 Learn more: www.peacecircle.world
BLOG
Planting trees and building bridges
My journey began as a teacher in a small Finnish school in the early 1990s. I believed – and still believe – that education is not only about information, but about connection, action, and care.
We were among the first to join the GLOBE programme after the Rio Earth Summit, using early digital tools to observe nature and share findings with students around the world. That experience planted the first seeds of what would become ENO – Environment Online – a global school network for sustainable development.
When I launched ENO in 2000, the term “Education for Sustainable Development” had not yet been introduced by the UN. But in practice, we were already living it – combining digital collaboration, hands-on action and global solidarity.
Over the years, ENO grew into a movement of over 10,000 schools in 157 countries. Together, we’ve planted more than 30 million trees – and built bridges of trust across borders, generations and cultures.
Later, I worked with TreebuddyEarth, developing transparent, tech-enabled climate action with communities and companies. But I’ve always stayed rooted in the power of education.
In 2022, as war returned to Europe, I founded Plant and Care for Peace – a non-profit network connecting tree planting with peace education, as a quiet act of solidarity and hope.
In 2024, I launched Peace Circle® – a replicable model for values-based learning and community dialogue. It brings people together to plant, reflect and grow peace in shared spaces – starting in urban areas, where peace and nature are often missing from daily life.
And along the way, I’ve continued to run – and to write music – quiet threads that keep me connected to the rhythm of life and learning.
Experience
Mika Vanhanen has over 25 years of experience in global sustainability education, combining digital innovation, community engagement and intercultural learning. He has led programmes at the intersection of environment, peace and education – from classrooms to international arenas.
He founded ENO – Environment Online in 2000, a global school network now active in over 150 countries. Under his coordination, ENO schools planted over 30 million trees and engaged in campaigns, trainings and conferences that built a shared global learning community.
He served as CEO of the ENO Association until 2020, and has coordinated several international events, including the World Summit of Students for Climate in 2019.
Mika has also worked with climate action startups such as TreebuddyEarth, and leads the NGO Plant and Care for Peace, founded in 2022.
He holds a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Joensuu and has pursued continuing studies in ICT and science education. He began his teaching career in the 1980s, with an early focus on music and creative learning.
Mika's work has been recognized with multiple national and international awards, including:
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WWF Panda Prize (2004)
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Microsoft Road Ahead Prize (1997)
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Energy Globe Award (2008)
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Finland’s State Award for Public Information (2011)
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Finalist, UN Forest Heroes (2012)
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Finalist, Nordic Environment Prize (2016)
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Act of the Year, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (2019)
