On 28 April, the team at SJSC “Latvijas Valsts ceļi” (LVC) held a working bee in the Lielauce oak avenue by the Dobele–Īle–Auce road (V1128) (29.18–31.00 km) and planted 27 large common oak (Quercus robur) saplings. The event took place with the support of the “Lielauces attīstībai” association and its head, Ivars Bušmanis, and was also attended by local residents of Lielauce.

The restoration of the avenue’s plantings was carried out in cooperation with Gvido Leiburgs, a certified dendrologist of the Latvian Dendrologist Society, board member of the society, EAC (European Arboricultural Council) certified tree technician, arborist, and head of SIA “Koku eksperts”.

“Last year, along with the maintenance of the avenue’s trees, 16 large oak saplings were planted; this year, during the LVC working bee, the avenue was supplemented with a further 27 saplings, and the majority of the avenue has now been restored. The new saplings have been planted while leaving so-called 'landscape windows' – breaks in the row of trees that allow one to enjoy the surrounding landscape while driving through the avenue. When planning the plantings, the placement of the power lines was taken into account, as well as the need for farmers to access their fields,” says Gvido Leiburgs.

The two-kilometre-long protected Lielauce oak avenue by the Dobele–Īle–Auce road (V1128) (29.18–31.00 km) is one of the oldest, longest and most scenic avenues in Latvia. Almost 70% of the avenue's trees are common oaks, which grow in the road reserve on both sides of the road. The oldest trees are approximately 250 years old. In total, there are 311 trees in the avenue.

“This is already the second avenue along a national road that we have planted together with colleagues. Last year, we restored the rows of trees in Taurene, where linden trees had to be felled a few years ago during road reconstruction. This year, we continued with the restoration of the Lielauce avenue. Last year, the old trees in the avenue were maintained, and the new plantings were a logical continuation of the avenue’s restoration,” states LVC board member Verners Akimovs. “When reconstructing or restoring national roads, we often have to decide on the felling of trees; therefore, we have established this tradition, and where it is possible from the point of view of traffic safety, road construction and land ownership, we will restore or create new plantings,” he emphasises.

Last year, during the Cohesion Fund project No. 5.4.3.0/20/I/001 'Implementation of management measures in specially protected nature areas and micro-reserves to improve the conservation status of habitats and species', the Lielauce avenue was cleaned up. The project was implemented by the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) in cooperation with LVC, a/s “Latvijas valsts meži”, and several municipalities and private landowners. More information here: https://lvceli.lv/aktuali/fotoreportaza-raiskuma-un-lielauce-gar-valsts-autoceliem-sakopj-koku-alejas/.

Last year, the LVC team resumed the creation of plantings by national roads by organising a working bee in Taurene, by the regional road Cēsis–Vecpiebalga–Madona (P30), where 55 oaks and several rowan trees were planted: https://lvceli.lv/aktuali/pirmo-reizi-kops-20-gs-vidus-atjaunoti-koku-stadijumi-gar-valsts-celu-lvc-kolektivs-taurene-iestadija-aleju/.
Renārs Kors' photograph used for the original article