Event programme
8:00-12:00 At Salaspils Secondary School No. 1, a meeting between secondary school students and Daiga Zute, European Climate Pact Ambassador and scientist at LVMI “Silava”. A talk about changing habits for a better environment: how can I help the forest and how can I help the climate?
LVMI “Silava” 18:00-22:00
In the Library Hall
18:00 Lecture about the bank that stores seed material capable of restoring the world, should the need arise. An insight into the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and a tour of Latvia's only crop gene bank (registration required by 26/09)*.
19:00 Lecture on how pine genetics affect their resistance to disease and a tour of the LVMI “Silava” Molecular Genetics Laboratory (registration required by 26/09)*.
In the lobby
Exhibition “Interactions” with information points:
– Two years in a pandemic… Welcome back, forest!
– Insect pheromones – all about insect communication and relationships
– Root and trunk rot. What will be the Latvian success story?
In the Main Hall
Creative activities
– You in the forest – an opportunity to immerse yourself in the forest for a moment and take photos against a backdrop of various natural textures
– Shadow play – an opportunity to create interesting drawings with the help of plant shadows
In the courtyard to the left of the main LVMI “Silava” building (in case of heavy rain – in the lobby)
18:00-19:00 Masterclass “Forestry tools” – an opportunity to view a range of different forestry tools and learn about their applications, as well as try your hand at measuring tree height and diameter
Exhibition “WADE in, but DON'T get WET” with information points:
– Blue smoke – smoking meat and benzopyrene
– The old new art – an insight into how charred wood is made. Everything about the advantages, uses, and disadvantages of the resulting material
In the event tent by the institute's main building
Information points:
– DNA laboratory (at 18:30, 19:30 and 20:30) – an opportunity to learn what DNA is and participate in its extraction
– Get to know DNA – is it possible to obtain DNA from forest animals using non-contact methods, and if so, how?
– Wood – the foundation of existence – about the adaptation of forests to climate change and their viability and productivity in the future
– Wild animal – friend or threat to humans? About Latvia's large predators, herbivores, and other forest inhabitants
– Teeth – what lies within? Determining animal age based on annual growth lines in tooth root cementum
– The new forest, carbon, and water
- Is it right for trees to be on agricultural land? Fast-growing and slow-growing trees in the field and the greenhouse
– Fertilizing and improving, not polluting – wood ash and charcoal as useful resources
* Reminder!!!! Please register in advance for the lectures on the global seed vault and pine genetics by writing to ilze.zepa@silava.lv or calling 29130676.
In compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, please be informed that the “Forest Science Afternoon” event will be filmed and photographed; the resulting materials may be used for publicity purposes on LVMI “Silava” information channels – websites, social media accounts, the media, and elsewhere.