This past weekend – on 22 and 23 May – Kurbada zeme in the Latvijas valsts meži nature park in Tērvete hosted, for the ninth year, the largest forest education event in the Baltics, “Latvijas Meža dienas”, giving schoolchildren, young people and families from all over Latvia the chance to learn about the role of forests in mitigating climate change. The two-day festival drew a record number of visitors – almost 16,000 people.
During the event, visitors could explore Latvian forestry at more than 100 forest education stops and enjoy a wide entertainment programme on the event stage. This year saw the continuation of a tradition begun last year – during the event, participants took part in restoring a storm-damaged forest stand in the LVM nature park in Tērvete. As they grow, the trees that were planted will capture carbon dioxide and so help to mitigate climate change.
Visitors to “Latvijas Meža dienas” who own a forest or have somewhere to plant forest seedlings also received two spruce seedlings as a gift, as a reminder that Latvia's state forests are managed sustainably and that two new trees are planted in place of every tree felled.
During the event, visitors could not only learn a great deal about forestry and forest management, but also discover the world of digital maps by becoming forest detectives and satellite map researchers. The chance to mark their home town on a digital map also attracted a great deal of interest.
Many young people likewise took the opportunity to climb into various kinds of forest machinery and go for a ride on a quad bike. At one of the forest education stations you could put together a large puzzle, at another you could test your archery skills, and at yet another you could climb a tree like an arborist. Families could find out how forests are planted and tended, and also try their hand at forestry work – for example, stepping into the role of a forest machinery operator on a harvester and a forwarder, and watching forest planting and tending machinery in action.
Normunds Namnieks, the event coordinator and development project manager for the LVM Recreation and Environment division, says:
“We are delighted with the event – schoolchildren from all over Latvia came on the first day to find answers to the questions that interested them about forestry and to gain new knowledge by taking an active part in the forest education stops. We are very pleased that we were also able to reach and engage Latvian families and guests, because this year we gathered a record number of visitors on the day devoted specifically to families. Many of these families were with us for the first time and were genuinely surprised by such a broad, engaging and high-quality event in the forest. Families came to the forest sector festival from every region of Latvia. Interest from visitors and participants grows year on year. Alongside the activities of the NBS, this year we were especially pleased by the involvement of the VUGD and the State Border Guard, who took part for the first time.”
The first day of the event, 22 May, was devoted to schoolchildren and young people: more than 7,000 pupils from every region of Latvia gained new knowledge. As many of the participants acknowledged, “Latvijas Meža dienas” has become an eagerly awaited event for which schools prepare carefully. During the day, the winners of the LVM environmental education competitions were honoured: the winners of the LVM Forest Days sticker competition and of the “Mežotājs” research project competition. The stage also hosted a forestry professions fashion show, inspiring young people to work in the forest sector. Visitors were amazed by the “Oxygen experiments” demonstrated by Marģers Majors, as well as by the performance of the singer BŪŪ with a special open-air concert programme.
Saturday, 23 May, at Kurbada zeme was given over to families – from early in the morning families filled the forest education stands, which drew in the youngest visitors as well as parents and grandparents. The youngest visitors enjoyed the “Tutas lietas” open-air concert programme, meeting Cūkmens and the chance to take part in various activities, such as lying in a pine cone bath, walking the sensory trail and finding their own treasure in a sand pile. In the afternoon, visitors were entertained by the rapper Ozols.
This year's event theme was “Let's capture carbon in wood and grow oxygen!”, encouraging people to appreciate and better understand the importance of forests and wood products in mitigating climate change.
“Latvijas Meža dienas” is organised by AS "Latvijas valsts meži" in cooperation with Dobele Municipality and various forest sector organisations and companies. This year the “Latvijas Meža dienas” event was held for the ninth time.