2021

Schools Increasingly Value Forests as a Suitable Place for Learning

This autumn, more than 6 000 students headed for studies outdoors – in the forest, using the environmental education opportunities offered by JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) in accordance with the new “School 2030” standard. In September, 5th- and 6th- grade students took an active part in forest expeditions, while in October, both younger and older students together with their teachers conducted research in the forest and organized educational forest days at their school level.

6th-grade students head for LVM Forest Expeditions

LVM Forest Expedition that take place in September have become a tradition for many schools across Latvia. That is the time when 6th-grade students get acquainted with the forest management cycle by going on a hike and performing a number of different tasks. The expeditions organized by LVM in the vicinity of the eight largest cities of Latvia in September were attended by 304 classes bringing together a total of 6 050 participants; more than 120 LVM employees who managed the expedition stops also took part in these events. Also in October, everyone interested from schools are invited to go on expeditions under the guidance of LVM guide to one of the three LVM tourist objects – LVM Nature Park in Tērvete, LVM Kalsnava Arboretum and LVM Vijciems Cone-drying Vicinity, combining learning with active recreation.

Teachers get to know the Forest Education Backpack

In order to be able to implement school forest expeditions permanently not far away from the schools, on 1 October, JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” in cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Centre for Educational Innovation of the University of Latvia organized professional development courses for teachers. A total of 21 teachers with an interoperable Covid-19 certificate participated in the courses in person, acquiring the new methodological tool “Forest Education Backpack”. Teachers worked, measured and studied the forest in practice and will test this new material with their students by 11 November to obtain a 12-hour course certificate. The “Forest Education Backpack”, which contains methodological instructions for teachers, worksheets for students and inspires learning in nature, has been available electronically free of charge to anyone interested this autumn.

The “Forest Education Backpack” has also encouraged students of Mārupe State Gymnasium to take part in the project, and on 5 October they went on an educational trip around the Zvirgzde Dune in the forests near Vecumnieki. The students covered a total distance of 10 km and at the end of the hike admitted that this had been one of the best excursions that should definitely be repeated.

Senior classes do research in forest

Students of Riga German State Gymnasium have been studying the forest for several years in a row. Also this year, on 7 October, students, in accordance with the theme of “School 2030” programme “Research in Forest”, took measurements in the sample plots prepared by LVM near Baldone to determine the wood stock.

Sharing their impressions, the 10^th-grade students of the gymnasium admitted that they would like to have more such lessons in nature, in which it is possible to work in practice. Within the framework of the topic “Research in Forest”, school students can, in an appropriate context, develop a study on forest management opportunities – an important resource for Latvia. The topic is designed as a simulation of the daily work of a forester, which involves determining and comparing the volumes of wood growing in two adjacent sections of the forest, analysing the reasons for their possible differences and deciding on future forest management.

  Open gallery 

German State Gymnasium “Research in Forest”

School forest – a place for studies and research

At the beginning of October, staff members of Kalnsēta Primary School also took part in this project. On the joint initiative of the school and LVM, their School Forest was opened on 12 October. It is a place where the school will organize outdoor classes for students and conduct long-term research in the forest. For this school, it will be the Veide forest massif near the city of Saldus. The learning platform “School Forest” provides for the involvement of the whole school in the implementation of interdisciplinary research work in the forest, as well as for the long-term cooperation of state forest territories specially selected for each school. In order to inspire Latvian schools to work in nature, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” together with Jelgava Spīdola State Gymnasium this autumn has also published the new methodological tool “School Forest”, which is available to anyone interested electronically free of charge at www.lvm.lv/skolasmezs