At the start of the new year, AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) is inviting secondary school pupils to take part in the “LVM Bioeconomy School” scholarship competition and to reflect on their own responsibility in building a greener Latvia. By 31 January, competition entrants must submit a poster on the theme “My Latvia, My Responsibility”, setting out their ideas about the many roles wood plays in the bioeconomy, to earn a place on a bioeconomy expedition and the chance to win a scholarship.

“Through this competition we encourage young people to develop a deeper understanding of the bioeconomy and its links to national security and independence. That is also underlined by this year's competition theme, chosen in cooperation with the National Armed Forces. By developing the bioeconomy and wood processing, we can reduce Latvia's dependence on oil, because consuming fossil resources increases environmental pollution and drives climate change, and it also finances undemocratic and repressive regimes,” explains Līga Abizāre, Head of Environmental Education at LVM.

For the eighth year running, young people can explore the role of forest resources in solving environmental problems at the “LVM Bioeconomy School”. The competition has been organised since 2017 by LVM in cooperation with the National Centre for Education, AS “Latvijas Finieris” and the association “Zaļās mājas”. It is open to pupils in years 10 to 12 and to students at vocational education institutions aged between 16 and 19.

The authors of the best posters from round one will have the opportunity to join a bioeconomy expedition with forest sector experts at the end of February, exploring innovations in growing and processing timber. The expedition will be led by representatives of various professions – foresters, chemists, economists and other experts – who will share their experience of the wide range of study and career opportunities in the bioeconomy and in wood biorefining.

In round three of the competition, to compete for the scholarships, the expedition participants will have to create a public service advertising video in March with a message for their peers to mark the UN International Day of Forests. A total of 10 scholarships will be awarded, worth 700, 500, 300 and 100 euros. The scholarship recipients will be chosen by a jury drawn from LVM, the National Centre for Education, AS “Latvijas Finieris”, the association “Zaļās mājas”, the association “Latvijas koks”, as well as the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry and the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”. A special prize will also be awarded for the best communication on social media. The competition supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

More information and the application form: www.lvm.lv/bioekonomika