Recovery work following the devastating August storm continues at the Latvijas valsts meži nature park in Tērvete. Essential work to make the park safe for visitors has been completed this week; the park is planned to open to the public this coming weekend.
The most significant storm damage in the most popular part of the park – the Sprīdītis Kingdom – involved 3,757 m³ of fallen trees. To allow the park to reopen and ensure it is safe for visitors, the area had to be cleared not only of fallen trees but also of those that were broken, while in three areas of the park, trees also had to be cleared from continuous tracts of land.
“Although the consequences of the storm have almost been cleared thanks to intensive work, park visitors should bear in mind that site cleanup operations will continue until the spring. The park will not look the same as before – the storm brought down thousands of trees, and their removal was not possible without the use of heavy forestry machinery. August was unusually rainy, which also affected the progress of the work. On days when there was heavier rainfall, we halted work to avoid damaging the paths and walkways; however, due to the prolonged wet weather, machinery has left ruts in some places which will level out over time,” explains Kristaps Didže, Recreation Manager at LVM Rekreācija un medības.
Storm recovery efforts were carried out with extreme caution, in constant consultation with the responsible park staff, as the storm affected not only areas with wooden sculptures, gazebos, and other infrastructure, but also several areas designated with nature conservation status. To remove dangerous trees and continue logging work, arborists were brought in where necessary.
The fallen and broken timber collected within the park area will be used for the park's improvement – the Tērvete wood carving workshop will produce the gazebos, benches, and other tourism infrastructure needed for the park.
In contrast, no significant damage was detected to the infrastructure of the LVM nature park in Tērvete following the storm – there was minor damage to the roof of the Information Centre and equipment rental building, as well as to the pedestrian bridge over the road, without affecting the operation of these structures. The popular dwarf town Čiekure survived the disaster unscathed, and no significant damage was found to the small wooden houses and sculptures in the Dwarf Village.