Eleri Lopp: A Nature Guide Showcasing ’s Birds, Wildlife and Living Landscapes

Small-group nature experiences near forests, rivers and bogs—paired with real-world conservation work that doesn’t stop at pretty views.

 

Executive summary

Eleri Lopp is a nature guide and photographer whose work centres on helping visitors notice what’s easy to miss: birdlife, animal tracks, and the quiet “logic” of Estonian forests and bogs. Alongside guiding, she has a visible track record in conservation advocacy and public education—linking on-the-ground wildlife knowledge with policy and legal outcomes.

The hook

If you’ve ever walked through a forest and felt like you were “missing the point”, you’re not alone. Most wildlife doesn’t announce itself; it leaves clues. Eleri’s guiding approach leans into that reality: reading tracks, recognising bird calls, and understanding habitats—so a hike becomes a story you can actually follow, not just a nice walk with photos.

She describes herself as a nature guide who mainly introduces foreign visitors to Estonia’s natural beauty “that is still preserved” (translated). It’s a telling phrase: the experience is not only about what you see, but also why it matters that it’s still here to be seen.

Background and viewpoint

Eleri’s public-facing work sits at the intersection of nature guiding and nature photography. On her own site, she highlights guiding as a core part of what she does, focused especially on international guests, and frames Estonia as a place where rare species and intact habitats are still realistically encounterable—whether that’s distinctive bird species or the fresh tracks of large mammals.

That combination (guide + photographer) matters in practice: photography encourages patience and ethics—waiting for the right moment, keeping distance, choosing behaviour over disturbance. It’s also a helpful mindset for birdwatching and wildlife tours: success isn’t “getting close”, it’s understanding what you’re observing.

Guiding in Estonia: birdlife, wildlife and where she takes people

Eleri’s base for nature experiences is connected with NatureStonia, located in Silmsi in Kose Parish (Harju region). The site positions the nature centre’s mission as bringing people closer to nature and modelling nature use that is more nature-sparing.

Many activities are built around the area’s immediate landscape: Pirita River and Paunküla reservoir are specifically referenced as nearby, with early-morning and sunset outings encouraged because wildlife and birds are more likely then.

Conservation involvement and outcomes

Eleri’s conservation participation is not just a vague “loves nature” claim—it is visible in organisational and legal arenas.

A major public signal is her leadership role in MTÜ Eesti suurkiskjad (Estonian Large Carnivores). In July 2025, ERR reported that the NGO contested an order by the Environmental Board on bear culling; the Tallinn Administrative Court granted preliminary legal protection and postponed the season start from 1 August 2025 to 29 August 2025—suspending bear hunting in the interim. The same report states the NGO (headed by Eleri) had also previously succeeded in delaying the start of a wolf culling season via appeal.

In addition to advocacy, she has taken part in public education that directly connects wildlife ecology with protected-area frameworks. The Estonian Fund for Nature documents a “winter road” nature hike on 6 February 2022 focused on large carnivores and Natura 2000, where Eleri is named as the hike leader and “large carnivore expert”, sharing experiences and discussing habitat needs and coexistence.

Other conservation projects, partner organisations, or formal roles beyond those above are not specified in the publicly cited sources reviewed here.

Qualifications, testimonials and booking details

Qualifications and certifications

Public pages describe Eleri as a nature guide and photographer, and third-party sources describe her as “renowned” in nature photography contexts. However, specific formal guiding certifications, licences, or named qualifications are not specified in the sources cited for this post.