Despite the storm and rain, volunteers yesterday planted 700 young birch saplings at Zābakkalns in the Krimulda region, not only marking the start of the annual Forest Days but also the “Trees of Happiness” planting campaign taking place tomorrow. The young birches will add to a scenically beautiful project – the Birch Clock – which was launched three years ago by the group AS “Latvijas Finieris”.

“The idea is to create a clock in three hectares – like 12 slices of a cake – by planting birch trees in them every three years. In 36 years, anyone will be able to come here and see how much the plantations have grown and, most importantly, how they should be properly managed from a forestry perspective.”

“You can show the nuances with tables and calculations, but if the forest owner cannot see and touch the tree, it is not the same. You need to see for yourself that the work is progressing,” says tree nursery manager Jānis Aļļis.