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LVM Spring Forest Days: Almost 50 Events across Latvia

This spring, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) has held around 50 Forest Days events, attended by more than 1 500 people - mainly school and kindergarten students, as well as representatives of local governments and business partners who appreciated the opportunity to get to know the company. Participants of the Forest Days took part in forest and park clean-up, renovation works and educational excursions.

 “Forest planting, which was historically the main activity of the Forest Days, has now been replaced by forest exploration activities - looking at what is happening in the forest, what it has to offer and how to behave, so that recreation in nature is pleasant. Participants of the Forest Days have the opportunity to see, explore, feel and do things together with experienced foresters. The open Forest Days have now become a celebration where nature's friends meet and spend time in the fresh air, tidying up and improving their surroundings, gaining new knowledge about the forest industry! The close co-operation with local governments allows the Forest Days programme to include facilities and activities that are important for the local population. It is a great pleasure that more and more young people living in cities are interested in the events, they want to know and understand the processes and importance of forest management in economic development,” says  Edmunds Linde, Executive Director LVM Silviculture.

Both the old and the young are invited to enjoy the spring in nature, see and understand what sustainable forest management means, as well as participate in cleaning up the surroundings. The biggest events of the Forest Days are already over, and there is a brief insight:

Latvian Forest Days in Tērvete

The largest and most ambitious forest event the Latvian Forest Days this year was held in Tērvete on 24 and 25 May, bringing together more than 13.5 thousand people - both students and families with children.

About 1.6 different organisations related to forestry, woodworking and the environment took care of the education and well-being of visitors in the 1.6 km long Kurbads’ Land route. Those interested could participate in forest cognitive workshops, engage in diverse educational activities with dwarfs, Pigman and knowledgeable industry professionals.

The ambitious Kārķi Forest Days

At the beginning of May, bringing together more than 500 people, Kārķi hosted the traditional Forest Days, where participants were invited to participate in international wooden car competitions and different other exciting tasks.

“Already for 11 years, LVM has been cooperating with the local government of Valka Municipality in the organization of the Forest Days. With the aim of familiarizing the local population with forest management, we have created thematic work stations this year covering such topics as forestry, plant growing, mining and many more. High-quality forest does not grow just like that - it should be taken care of from the moment of planting. That is why we brought the attention to the need for timely forest tending,” says Kaspars Spirks, LVM Forest Management Planning Manager.

The boldest and most enthusiastic participants of the Forest Days tried to replace the chain of a chainsaw, while others - to create their own terrain and participate in the clean-up of the surroundings of the Kārķi White Church. In the Forest Gymnastics Centre created in Kārķi Lustiņsdruva, new facilities were created for future sports enthusiasts to indulge in sporting activities. During the day, spruce and pine trees were planted, the forest was supplemented with black alder and birch trees, culture house park was tided up and waste at the roadside collected.

  Open gallery 

Forest Days in Koknese

In LVM Vidusdaugava Region, the Forest Days took place at the end of May with the participation of Koknese Pensioners' Association “Pīlādzītis”. This year, participants were introduced to the importance of forest tending for high-yielding future forest cultivation, as well as issues related to the risk of damage to young stands and young trees and their protection measures in forests managed by LVM.

Inviting the participants of the Forest Days to actively work and clean up their environment, the day continued in Koknese Park, where a linden-tree seedling grown at LVM Strenči Nursery was planted to delight local and guests for several generations.

“At the end of the day we did practical tasks in the forest, where we had to use our forest planting skills working with a planting barrel. The young pine seedlings led to discussions about the need for profitable forest regeneration and its importance for future forest value enhancement,” says Jānis Belickis, LVM Forest Management Planning Manager.

LVM Customer's Forest Day in Tome offers a Forest Expedition

This year, already for the fifth time Tome hosted the Forest Day for JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” (LVM) customers - buyers of wood products. Participants had the opportunity not only to learn more about LVM forest educational programmes for schoolchildren and general public, but also to get into the role of a student and head for a Forest Expedition - an educational and inspirational adventure together with experienced LVM experts.

In several forest stations, participants of the Forest Days were asked to identify products that use wood or its processing products, count trees and measure tree height, determine the age of trees, introduce the latest research in forest science, and jointly build a wooden bridge.  Customers listened to the expert with great interest, performed tasks and engaged in discussions on forestry topics at forest stations, as well as took the opportunity to talk in informal settings.

During these years, we have told about forest management and felling planning, introduced the process of forest regeneration, logging processes and product preparation processes. Customers have had the opportunity to get acquainted with forest seedling cultivation and processing in LVM Mazsili Nursery, we have demonstrated a forest technique that ensures the development of felling areas in bad and extreme conditions, and we have also forested small areas together. These are just a few of the topics we have included in the content of the event, and there are some more that we plan to introduce our customers with in the future,” says Sanita Jirgensone, LVM Sales and Supplies Customer Service Manager.

LVM brings together school students in the Northern Latgale Forest Days that take place in Ančupāni

This year, the 20th anniversary of the Forest Days took place in the Ančupāni Forest Park, Vērēmi Rural Territory. Pigman, the patron of clean forests, together with 247 school students from schools of Rēzekne city and rural territory cleaned over 40 hectares of recreation sites popular among both tourists and local residents.

“To make the clean-up work more efficient, we divided the area into sectors. There is less waste this year, but you should always remember to “take along what you brought to the forest”. If this is respected, the forest around us will be clean and our waste will not affect the environment or wild animals. Various harmful substances are released into the soil and groundwater from the discarded waste,” says Viktors Reblis, LVM Forestry Manager, Northern Latgale Region.

At a camp-fire in Ančupāni Forest Recreation Area, the students together with Pigman and LVM representatives learned about forest management and how much damage waste causes to the environment, especially the forest.

“If a person gets used to a clean environment from an early age, then it is more likely that they will continue to take care of it. Don't litter the forest! You'll turn into a pig!” reminds, Pigman, the patron of clean forests.