Notable - Zeme un valsts
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Latest articles

Latvijas Banka issues a symbolic collector coin, "Chestnut"
The European Innovation Act and the forest bioeconomy – what can Latvian forestry gain from it?
The “Trojan Horse” of Turkish Plywood – Growing Concerns Among European Timber Producers
Nature Conservation Agency invites donations for the restoration of nature tourism infrastructure damaged by the storm

Poll

Concern about gaps in the skills and knowledge of our pupils is voiced quite widely from time to time. Unfortunately, only when someone from outside Latvia has concluded as much. Why is that?
There is a political tendency to be busy, to invest, to make promises, but not to think about the results
If you have little knowledge yourself, you do not even know how or what you do not know...
A smart society is not always desirable or welcome
Many interests swirl around education. A "good result" is rarely mentioned among them

A lighter note

“Why are the trees here so big?”

VIDEO

Collector coin “Chestnut”
Trees on agricultural land – perennial plantations, short-rotation coppice or agroforestry?!
The Baltics in the Kremlin's sights. How serious is the threat?

Notable

Will the wisdom of the crowd help change trust in social media?
The Green Deal has taken on the shape not of a vision, but of a hallucination
Scientists have found the oldest evidence that Neanderthals altered the natural landscape
The Green Deal is an absolute EU priority, which does not exclude the risk of driving people into poverty
Potato consumption in Europe
Why is Latvia swapping cheap wood chips for expensive gas?
The philosophy of waste lies in the realisation of a sustainable lifestyle
Centipede. Or millipede? Recently discovered
On vaccines: from 0 to 11 billion
Is the EU regulation helping or hindering the sustainable use of forest biomass?
Latvijas valsts meži. Mother Nature seeks a steward
Is the #Fitfor55 idea about the possibility of doubling carbon sequestration in European forests correct?
Wood increment in Latvian forests exceeds the volume harvested. Are we managing them in an environmentally friendly way?
Six paradoxes of leadership
May the forests in Central Africa grow! The urgency of sustainability issues in the Congo Basin
Sustainable agriculture: mobile weeders for tree nurseries
Unveiling the tree in all its glory
Someone flew over an empty bird's nest
EU funding in the millions expected to reduce GHG emissions and transition to renewable energy sources in heat supply
Restless times arrive for state forests
The forestry sector - an engine for Latvia's economic development
Green investments won't appear overnight!
Businesses need solutions, politicians need a show
RTU vacates historic building in Old Riga
A detailed account of an electric car test drive – a pointless journey to Latvia's eco-city for electricity!
State forests being prepared for sale
In today's world, where the thirst for public attention is becoming increasingly pathological, we must try to find a balance
Trains, trams, cycle paths – what the 295 million euros from the Recovery Fund will mean for Riga
How Riga plans to encircle itself with a health belt
To avoid boredom: a new municipal reform in the pipeline
Animals that changed human life forever
What will the end of deforestation by 2030 demand or deliver?
What do green financial instruments mean?
What would the Earth be like if humans did not exist?
Scientists need to be more involved in explaining the impact of climate change
Almost all of Latvia's territory (as of 2005) can now be designated as protected
Turbulence in the fertiliser market demands a shift
When emissions become very personal
Experts update information on endangered species in Latvia
Assessment of selected Latvian dairy farms indicates lower GHG emission rates than the EU average
Afforestation of unused land – a long-term investment
Latvian pioneers in the complex processing of birch bark
Questions about the Green Deal, without the publicity and the enthusiasm
Areas affected by forest fires in Croatia are being restored with the help of drones
A new forest will grow at the reclaimed mineral extraction site
A photographer's journey among the baobabs of Madagascar
Avoiding the food crisis ditch as well
Humanity is disrupting changes that have occurred naturally over millions of years in just a few centuries
A romantic idea for grape growing turns into a business
Urbanisation does not always have a negative impact on land use and food diversity
Europe is running short of natural gas. Is Russia to blame?
Number of house sparrows in Europe has fallen by 247 million
Children eat meat "without suspicion". An opportunity to address climate issues
Textile recycling as a new and undiscovered business niche in Latvia
Glasgow bla-bla-bla
What is the point of COP26?
Five reasons why climate change affects and impacts women more
The first public wooden buildings are appearing, but...
LTRK takes a bold step
Will the issue of emission-free aviation fuel be solved?
Fossil fuels must be abandoned. What will happen to the people whose incomes depend on them?
We could make much greater use of solar energy in Latvia
Experts and activists from the Southern Hemisphere also blame the UN for climate change
Last year, the total contribution of the agricultural sector to the economy was 3.43 billion euros
Climate Geopolitics and Markets of Hypocrisy
Wood – a traditional material with a changing, yet enduring, relevance
Deforestation. In which countries is it happening?
Historians survey Stompaki Marsh and the site of the Latvian national partisan camp
What is a "carbon budget" and what role will it play in climate change?
Counting on an anxious old age
How to capture carbon dioxide and turn it into fuel
Eight-toothed spruce bark beetle destroys spruce stand near Viļāni secondary school
Forestry must be given a place in climate discussions
”There is no such thing as renewable energy!” Why?
Saffron harvest underway in Priekuļi...
How to grow birch trees from A to Z?
Old pancakes (or ancient charcoal burning sites)
In cooperation with Hesburger, Neste will produce renewable diesel from used cooking oil
Russia makes a mockery of EU climate goals
Nature loss can be just as catastrophic as a changing climate. What can be done?
Sledgehammering mosquitoes
...soon the bears will realise that in Latvia, unlike in Estonia, they are not hunted
Fastest electric vehicle charger: battery full in 15 minutes
European Red List of Birds. 2021
European Commission "concerned" about potential cartel among Finnish forestry companies
Is an "energy winter" expected in Europe?
Bear incursions continue
100 days of administrative-territorial reform
227 environmental defenders killed in 2020
What to expect in Glasgow on 31 October?
The harvest is disappointing; time to evaluate more nature-friendly farming
The future of green litigation in Latvia
27% of international aviation emissions generated at the top 20 airports
The European Commission’s forest protection policy has failed
Timber construction in Europe is on a roll, and Latvia could follow suit
Five bears living in Vijciems
Trees in Riga: here today, gone tomorrow
Freer rein for forest owners!
Importing peat from Latvia has sparked a major storm of outrage in Ireland
ZAZA TIMBER has built an electric charging station in Copenhagen made from glulam
Habitat restoration to begin in Latvia at the end of the year
Monitoring data shows that the dormouse population in Latvia is declining
How insects, Covid, protests and private consumption 'skyrocketed' timber prices
The largest capital city forest in the Baltic states has been certified
Everything is exactly as we do not want it
Timber building village in Garupe
Claes Anders Rickson has successfully chaired the board of SIA VMF Latvia since 2006
Rundāle Palace French Garden has won the European Garden Award
Nature is stronger than politics
Organic food revolution in Sri Lanka threatens the country's tea growers
Global aluminium price reaches 13-year high
The most magnificent and impressive urban forests in the world
The European spruce bark beetle is not the biggest headache for the Latvian timber industry
Climate change does not mean only bad news for us
Highest number of occupied osprey nests in the last 15 years
LIAA: Exporting companies must seek opportunities to combine traditional exports with digital tools
Researchers encounter very rare fish species in the Baltic Sea: the butterfish, the sea scorpion and the twaite shad
Latvian forests have burned over a larger area this year than last
Between bollards in Riga and the country’s future vision
Previously unknown cave discovered in the Mazsalaca region
What does it mean to manage forests in Latvia?
Is the Lithuanian economy pulling Latvia into its orbit?
Lake Usma lakebed survey results better than expected
Cohesion is not just about money, it fosters solidarity in every corner of the EU
The economy will grow. So will the labour shortage
Propaganda and agriculture
(Is) "Rail Baltica" becoming increasingly troubled and unwanted (?)
Promises to green the transport sector, yet electricity and hydrogen are not yet up to the task
Professor Ella Muižarāja turned 100 on 27 August!
Fewer businesses, but more institutions – the big spenders
Researchers create a map of Latvian soils
Old railways transform into green cycle routes
Latvian company has become one of the largest pasta producers in Northern Europe
"Frau Ribbentrop", natural gas and right-wing politics. Russia's choice in German politics
Why might civilisation be older than previously thought?
Iļģuciems residents want to expand the area of Nordeķi Park. Riga City Council does not support the plan
Rising forest property prices increase the risk of grey-market schemes
Unprecedented human migration predicted
Māris Zanders. What is past is past? No!
Will Latvia manage to achieve its set climate neutrality goals in 30 years' time?
Will we be able to mitigate climate change and live in a more nature-friendly way?
The Taliban controls resources worth trillions of dollars that are vital to the world – or what will happen to Afghanistan's as-yet-undiscovered wealth of rare minerals?
How precision farming technologies influence environmental conservation
How to balance hunger with overeating?
After reviewing the UN climate report, the President of the European Investment Bank calls for more vigorous action
Misunderstood objectivity
9 things that could be made from wood
Pollution in the Baltic Sea is widespread and remains unchecked
Unlawful practices in allotment gardens
"Tree crisis" in Riga: leaves on many trees already withering and yellowing in August
Businessmen to destroy the environment in Ogres Zilie kalni
Well-preserved hideouts related to national partisans found by chance
What awaits landowners after the “romantic” nature census?
Growing interest in long-term forest management
Gas prices in Europe continue to rise. Gazprom reduces transit through Poland
Public service media should work in the interests of the “majority”, not some sort of “oddities”, right?
Still topical: How much wood can forest-rich Latvia afford to let rot in the woods?
Dare. Overgrown fields transformed beyond recognition
The stag beetle in Latvia
To ensure the protection of eagle-owls, 37 nesting platforms will be installed in Latvian forests
Green Deal for transport will cost 12 billion euros
Pe-2. The Kremlin's project
A discovery in Tilža. A strangely indifferent attitude towards recent, highly significant history
We are still living in an ice age. A conversation with researcher Kristaps Lamsters
Forest property prices in Latvia are among the lowest in the Baltic Sea region
Oil to be replaced by wood-based products
Wind in the toils of components and ignorance
Despite climate goals – record coal burning ahead
Cooperation for achieving the 2050 climate goals
Cycling along the old railway line to Gulbene
A find of historical significance for Latvia in Tilža
A truffle garden with a dog in the Jelgava region
Industrial policy goals set in the past have not been achieved
The political value of flawed ideas
The dogmas of macroeconomic priests
For the third year running, Latvia is the world's largest peat exporter
In search of the European roller near Riga
Agreement signed on the implementation of the Ķekava bypass project
Six Latvian products in the EU Protected Product Name registers
How Latvians are trying to save stations where the train no longer stops
Riga residents are lazy about sorting organic waste
Data obtained on goose migration in spring 2021
The pride of Dobele - the "Barons" bicycle
Orkla Latvija begins transition to using responsibly sourced cocoa
French winemakers angered by Russia’s attempts to appropriate the name 'Champagne'
Are the goals of nature conservation organisations actually nature conservation?
The Silent Colleague - the little lake Mežzinis
95% of European turtle dove habitat restoration projects are funded by hunters
Study concludes: cloudberries are the sweetest wild berries in Latvia
Beavers affect more than half of Latvia's rivers
On hunting in Otaņķi, where the animals live in the lake
On the wider use of timber in construction
Where there is a new forest, there is the red-backed shrike
The youngest strawberry grower in Aloja continues family traditions
Palm oil
Hunting passions: on lynx, swans and hunting in the city
How much do we know about the situation in Europe's forests?
Wooden hostel for pilgrims in the Basque Country
Tērvete Brewery. Focused on local consumers
Using forests for carbon sequestration is akin to the sale of indulgences in the Middle Ages
With an agronomist's sense of responsibility towards the land and people
Total number of forestry offences fell last year
Nature is increasingly entering the urban environment – into courtyards and even offices
The endless war in nature: invasive species in Latvia
Is the Riga City Council collaborating with "Chekist-style" informants?
Minister irritates Zemnieku Saeima representatives
There is no climate crisis
Coastal fishing: opportunities to diversify operations must be seized
Spanish slug on Moricsala
A plan for a zero-pollution life: how to ensure it
Waste sorting to be suspended in Babīte Municipality due to irresponsible public behaviour
Nature park to be established in Zeltiņi bog, Salaspils municipality
European bee-eaters spotted in Daugavpils municipality
It is not wise to object to nonsense published on Twitter...
How experts educate environmental activists, or "I regretted applying for a micro-reserve"
There are around 50 bears in Latvia; most stay in Northern Vidzeme
Only owners of growing forests will be allowed to breathe
Ventspils Seaside Open-Air Museum boat shed. An excellent wooden construction project
17 "extinct" plant species have been found
Forest composition and distribution
Migratory songbirds reach remarkable altitudes during flight
CMC – one of the lesser-known forest products*
New opportunities in land use!
Tips for creating a bee-friendly garden
A bumblebee colony for the garden
There are not and will not be enough trees in the world to offset CO₂ emissions generated by society
10 good things that happened in nature in 2020
Which so-called "green" actions will reduce CO2 emissions? Will humans and nature be able to coexist?
For Latvians, the war did not end on 8 May 1945
Climate discord
This will be the most expensive project in the history of nature management
With trees in one's blood
An oasis for free-thinkers and artists on the shores of Ķīšezers
Wooden tableware is an asset
When the time comes to choose – do we want to be human beings or pigs?
Dispelling the image of the victim
VARAM: Equating wood to coal was a mistake
Morels. All about them
When the forest enters the city
A deadly legacy: burned waste
Will municipalities specialise intelligently?
21 terrifying-looking creatures that live in the depths of the sea or ocean
Long-distance grain growers
Investment in research and development – at the "tail end" of the EU
Historical evidence in the forest
Spring floods remain in “Straumēni”
Study clarifies key issues regarding forests in the European Union
Hunting and hiking. Who has priority in the forest?
Who is turning science into a "bespoke service"?
A new type of terror? A new wave?
Searching for the oldest wooden buildings in Latvia
When the hidden is revealed. In anticipation of Easter
How to balance management, biodiversity, and address emission issues?
Will the Latvian economy experience a “great seven-year period”?
Guidelines for captive breeding of the natterjack toad
Otto's reply to Oskars: "What can you do for the planet"
LVM environmental researchers discover new golden eagle nest
Latvian archaeologist investigates the origins of slavery on the Caribbean coast
Terror towards hunters and hunting sabotage – conduct punishable by law
Visually unkempt, but safe
Valmiera Old Pharmacy - the oldest wooden building in Latvian towns
Ecological apocalypse
Has bird migration been decoded?
How can green bonds stimulate investment in biodiversity and sustainable land-use projects?
The Hillfort Explosion
We all want to live "green". But...
Tapes on trees
Waffling, while offering nothing. Children, people, forest, young growth, clear-felled, felled...?!
Ķemeri National Park in its new status
2021 Latvian Archaeological Monument - Aizkraukle Hillfort and Ancient Town
Fake "animal inspectors"...
Scientists cautious regarding “green Europe” requirements
PTAC: A large proportion of "green claims" are misleading
What we don't know about European forests
Gazprom money and interests are visible behind the activities of nature conservationists in Estonia
Commemorating the significant Kabile partisan battle 75 years ago
Obsessed with success (still relevant)
The European roller and other rare species in the Riga region. A view from nature conservation specialists
A green idea mishap: environmental umbrella organisation publishes objections with fabricated figures
Bug from America found in Kolka forest
How can whales cool the Earth?
This winter is important for Latvia's nature
On science and ignorance (Kristaps Jaudzems*)
Staldzene bluff named Latvia's 2021 Geosite
The Pioneer's Zeal
Funding for nature reserves exists, but compensation – none now and none in the future?
Kangar Oak Trees
Previously unseen large boulder found in the Latgale region
Growing wooden designer furniture in Cīrava parish
Caraway chosen as the plant of the year 2021
On the decision-makers and their "greenness"
Government ban on driven hunts could affect the forestry sector
Reason for emigration – the European roller?
Grey partridge chosen as the bird of the year 2021
Scandinavians have a preference for wooden buildings constructed by Latvians
How beavers are taking over the Vilce river