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People Enjoy a Hike Dedicated to Getting to Know Nature's Values in Swamp Tīreļpurvs

During the month of national holidays, highlighting the legendary memorial sites of the Christmas Battles and the natural values in their surroundings, JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) invited those interested to go on an exploratory hike in Swamp Tīreļpurvs together with LVM Environmental Expert Gaidis Grandāns, who told the participants about wood mushroom species characteristic of natural forest habitats.​ The pseudomerulius aureus, hermanssonia centrifuga, crustoderma dryinum, climacocystis borealis, rigidoporus crocatus, porodaedalea pini, artomyces pyxidata – these are just a few of the rare species of mushrooms that could be observed during the hike.

“There are more than 4 000 species of mushrooms in Latvia, but most of them are unknown to people and are even left noticed in nature. That is why this time we tried to walk slowly, stop, and look to see what kind of mushrooms can be found in the dead wood structures characteristic of natural forest habitats - fallen trees, stumps and dried roots. My daily work in the Latvia’s State forests is similar – I look for indicator species that indicate special natural values,” says LVM Environmental Expert Gaidis Grandrāns.

Although 100 years ago battles took place in the vicinity of Swamp Tīreļpurvs completely destroying the forest area, now the forest has been restored; moreover, a number of biotopes of European Union importance and protected in Latvia can be found here. These are old-growth or natural boreal forests, as well as evergreen spruce forests. Pine groves have also been preserved in some places, the age of which, according to the data of the forestry department, reaches up to 173 years. After the hike, the LVM environmental expert shared that the participants did not expect to observe such a diverse and abundant range of unusual mushrooms.

“Mushrooms are just as gorgeous as leaves in autumn. During the hike, we found mushrooms in all colours of the rainbow, including the blue-green chlorocyborium. Moreover, many of the participants were very knowledgeable in mycology, which led to a lot of discussion about how not to make mistakes when identifying certain mushroom species. One thing was clear – you can only eat those mushrooms, about which there is no doubt as to them being safe for consumption”, the author of the idea, LVM Environmental Education Manager Līga Abizāre shares her impressions about the hike.

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Looking for unusual mushrooms in Swamp Tireļpurvs

Gyromítra ínfula, popularly known as the Bishop's cap, was often to be spotted during the hike. Such a title was given to it not for religious reasons, but because of a visual peculiarity, that is, the cap of the mushroom apothecium somewhat resembles the headdress of the highest clergyman of the Christian church, albeit rather wrinkled. The LVM Environmental Expert reminds us that since the chemical properties of these mushrooms have not yet been sufficiently studied, for safety reasons it is better to go forests not armed with a basket and a knife, but rather with a camera or the desire to simply look at these unique natural formations.

LVM organizes educational hikes in nature with the aim of introducing the public to nature's values and LVM's contribution to their awareness and protection. The company implements sustainable and balanced forest management, allocating 23 % of the managed land for natural processes, ensuring maximum growth of wood and carbon sequestration in the growing wood in the rest of the forest area, while at the same time promoting the increase of natural diversity in a balanced manner. The majority of the terrestrial Natura 2000 specially protected natural areas of European Union importance in Latvia are under the management of LVM, their formation was facilitated by the implemented forest management during the last 100 years.