2013

Learn about forests in exciting new board game

JSC “Latvia’s State Forests”, in cooperation with the National Centre for Education, is urging everyone to become familiar with a new and exciting board game for schools - “Let’s Grow Forests!”-  created by Riga State Gymnasium No.1 pupils. The goal of the game is to foster understanding of basic preconditions for biological diversity in forests and sustainable forest management. The game was recognized as the best in the 2012 State Environmental Games “Become Familiar with Environment”.

To win the game, you must ensure nature’s variety in your forest – collect six different figurines on your board, gaining a figurine of forest gold and understanding of true forest owners – forests require care and at least two trees must be planted to replace one cut down.

By playing the game, you will find out about Latvia’s forest animals and plants. The game contains 120 descriptions of different animal and plant species. It reveals various natural and human factors affecting forest growth, for example – a forester, fire, waste and others that can have positive or negative impact on the game. The game will be presented as a gift to JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” cooperation schools and distributed in various environmental education events. Let’s grow forests!

Teachers were the first ones to try the game. On March 1, they met at Riga State Gymnasium No.1 and grew their own forests.

Within the framework of the environmental education programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education – “Learning about Forests”, JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” has been implementing environmental education in Latvian schools for more than eight years. Each year, JSC “Latvia’s State Forests”, in collaboration with the National Centre for Education, offers schools a chance to participate in the Mammadaba Master Class, the Forest Olympiad and further education courses for teachers.