### 30 November At the LBTU Aula Forest Sector Conference 2023

 

 

### 25 November a literary and musical composition Feelings Games by pianist Andrejs Osokins and actor Gundars Āboliņš at the Jaunmoku Palace Column Hall

At first, I asked the senior forester of the Žīguri district of the LVM North Latgale region, Aldis Zaremba, if I could follow him around the forests for a bit, meaning for an hour or so, but in the end, we spent the whole day together, driving around the near and far forests of Žīguri.

 

In the Torch relay, faculty teams of 5 runners compete in agility and speed, starting and finishing in the courtyard of Jelgava Palace. Students use flashlights as a relay baton, which are handed over to each other at the relay changeover point, while the relay distance itself is illuminated with torches.

 

 

When the stars align so that I encounter something for the first time, those things come in packages – several at once. Thus, in the last month, someone managed to copy my credit card for the first time and spent a significant amount of money in Europe. Fortunately, the bank identified the problem quite promptly and refunded the lost money. I also faced an unpleasant fraud attempt at work this week. But yesterday something especially peculiar happened.

 

 

 

 

In the near future, Latvia will have to look for ways to reduce the amount of waste landfilled in landfills, because, according to the goals set by the European Union for promoting a circular economy, the amount of waste landfilled must be reduced to 10% by 2035. This means that at the national level, we will have to look for ways to reduce this volume, and every resident of Latvia can get involved.

 

A new mushroom species for Latvia, Irpicodon pendulus, has been discovered in the Slītere National Park between Košrags and Pitrags. The yellowish mushroom, which resembles a delicate frilled collar with teeth, was spotted and identified by Nature Conservation Agency specialist Ritvars Rekmanis and local resident Pēteris Dambergs, and the mushroom species was confirmed by mycologists Ivars Leimanis and Diāna Meiere. For the species to be included in the Latvian list of mushrooms, a sample of the mushroom must be collected and delivered to the Latvian Museum of Natural History.

 

Rivers are one of Latvia's greatest assets, which not only delight with beautiful landscapes but are, above all, a significant part of the ecosystem. However, no matter how much has been done regarding river protection, Latvia is definitely still lagging behind in river restoration and the preservation of their ecosystems compared to our neighbouring countries. We still live with the belief that everything in nature is fine and is happening in accordance with natural laws, but we do not realise how much everything has changed – both the natural characteristics and the ecological stability.

 

Golden tooth, centrifugal phlebia, dry crustoderma, northern climacocystis, blackening polypore, pine polypore, broadleaf candle-fungus – these are just a few of the rare mushroom species observed during the hike.

 

A new mushroom species for Latvia, 'Irpicodon pendulus', has been discovered in the Slītere National Park between Košrags and Pitrags, the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) reported. The mushroom is most commonly found in Scandinavian countries, but, for example, it has been identified in Estonia three times.

 

 

In response to information that has appeared in the public domain regarding the Climate and Energy Ministry's plans to fell old-growth forests, the “100 Clear-cuts” initiative is calling for a protest in defence of old-growth forests. The silent protest “For the protection of old-growth forests” will take place on 21 November at 13.00 in front of the Cabinet of Ministers building of the Republic of Latvia.

 

 

In order to promote interaction between the academic and business environments in the training of future industry specialists, the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences (MVZF) of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU, formerly LLU) and SIA Ziemeļlatvijas meži are continuing their cooperation this academic year, organising forest education lectures and an innovation idea competition for LBTU students.

 

On Monday, Riga Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis, together with the Riga 45th Secondary School Youth Guard unit and representatives of the municipal company “Rīgas meži”, will select the main Riga Christmas trees. They will decorate Dome Square and Town Hall Square. For the first time, the Christmas trees will be selected in the Gauja forest district of “Rīgas meži” – near Jūdaži in the Sigulda municipality.

 

 

In the final broadcast of the Kas notiek Latvijā? cycle What must Evika Siliņa’s government do?, the policy on traffic and communications was discussed by the chairman of the Latvian Association of Local Governments, Gints Kaminskis, the vice-chairman of the board of the Latvian Stevedoring Companies Association, Āris Ozoliņš, Tet development director Krists Avots, and road safety expert Oskars Irbītis, together with former Minister of Transport Jānis Vitenbergs and his successor Kaspars Briškens.

 

...the train journey will take place through Šiauliai and Jelgava, and therefore the trains on this route will be conveniently accessible both to residents of the capitals and to passengers travelling to or from other Lithuanian and Latvian cities.

 

 

It is important for us to show that the community of historical researchers can self-organise, state its problems at the national level, and express a commitment to work together to find solutions to the critical situation that has developed in the history sector. This is just the beginning of a common conversation...

 

The name of this year's congress is Latvian History Congress, not Latvian Historians' Congress, because we want to talk about issues that are painful for the entire sector. History is not only dealt with by historians, and the knowledge created by historians is used not only by other historians, but by the whole of society. The residents of Latvia are extremely interested in history-related issues, as evidenced by the audiences for history-related articles, television programmes, films, radio programmes, and book circulations. History issues have become politically significant in recent years.

 

In the Baltic states, there is still a palpable sense of injustice regarding the occupation, the deportations, and everything else. Furthermore, for years Russia has purposefully implemented a foreign policy that seeks to diminish its crimes and turn them into Baltic paranoia. But no society can heal and recover if justice has not been served – it is not so simple to just sweep it under the carpet...

 

I do not intend to sneer at patriotism, because I do not find that interesting. Moreover, the quote from Samuel Johnson often included in various collections of aphorisms, Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel, is most often misunderstood, ignoring the historical context. Johnson's statement was an attack against the efforts of a specific contemporary – politicians – to use the concept of patriotism for selfish interests.

 

Riga councillors are considering turning or moving the monument to writer Vilis Lācis in the Forest Cemetery to a different urban location. Back in the day, the monument to Lācis – a fisherman's son against a background of crashing waves – was installed with only one goal: to block the view of the monument to the first President of Latvia, Jānis Čakste.