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As Part of an Exhibition, Secondary School Students Learn about Innovations in Forest Tending and Wood Biorefining

Does your future lie in trees? With such a stimulating question, the participants of the 2nd round of the LVM Bio-economy School scholarship competition organized by JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM), almost 100 young people from schools across Latvia headed for an exploratory bio-economy expedition. Together with forest industry experts, the young people got to know what sustainable forestry means in nature, while in the laboratories they acquired new skills in wood biorefining.

“During this expedition, we investigated whether bio-economy can ensure a more efficient use of natural resources, especially the processing of wood residues. Latvia is currently successful in the mechanical processing of sawn timber and in the construction of modular houses. Still, there is great potential in the future for the chemical processing of wood into products with high added value, the raw material of which is widely available in Latvia – paper wood and wood processing residues,” Līga Abizāre, LVM Environmental Education Manager, talks about the main goal of the expedition.

During the expedition, the students performed various tasks in the Zvirgzde forests such as creating sample plots, finding out how many trees grow in a young stand, as well as determining their age, measuring the height of larger trees, and finding out how the stock of the stand is calculated. The young people, working practically, together with forest industry experts discussed the role of forests in the national economy of Latvia, as well as learnt more about the methods of preserving biological diversity in the forest ecosystem.

To learn not only the process of wood production but also its processing options and innovations, the participants of the scholarship competition visited the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry in the second part of the expedition. Pauls Beķeris, Head of Corporate Communication of JSC “Latvijas Finieris”, introduced the young people to the innovations already applied in the wood processing industry, the common development trends of the industry and specific examples of how to increase the added value of the products of the wood processing sector, thus developing bio-economy in Latvia.

Together with the institute's young researchers, the students conducted experiments in which they obtained paper from a cellulose solution, applied the chromatography method to clarify the substances forming the solution, independently obtained a mixture for the production of thermal insulation foam, as well as performed calculations for the production of wood composite material. Although all the mentioned experiments seemed interesting, the most exciting part was the preparation of their own cosmetic cream, which contains betulin – a substance obtained from birch, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Everyone could take home their cream and test its properties literally on their own skin.

The expedition members shared their impressions:

• “I found it amazing in how many different ways trees can be used and how important they are in our lives. I really liked the event organized by Latvia’s State Forests, which allowed me to learn more about the growth of trees in the forest and their importance. The lunch in the forest was also great – everything tastes better in nature! Of course, it was also very exciting to see how products are made from wood in the laboratories. I especially enjoyed watching and participating in the cream and paper-making process. I thought this day was very valuable and fun, I really enjoyed it.”
• “I really liked this day: I gained more knowledge in biology and chemistry, as well as new experiences. I had the opportunity to meet new people, although the majority of them were shy. I could create new things from wood. This experience will stay with me for the rest of my life, thank you.”
• I gained a lot of new knowledge, which I would like to share with my peers. Both the expedition in the forest and the various classes at the Wood Chemistry Institute gave me a new idea of how valuable wood is, and it is very beneficial for us as a society to develop wood industries – it helps the national economy as well as the climate. New thoughts arose about the further fields of study and profession, with which I could probably connect my future.
• “Loved it, a cool organizing team. I never imagined that trees were so important and that you could get so many materials from them. Great experience and a cool, useful time. I enjoyed the practical tasks best; you can probably do more of them in the forest.”

The students will be able to apply the knowledge gained during the expedition by creating a social advertising video with a message to their peers for the UN International Day of Forests.

A total of 10 scholarships will be awarded in the LVM Bio-economy School scholarship competition: 700, 500, 300, and 100 euros. Scholarship recipients will be chosen by a jury from JSC “Latvia's State Forests”, the National Centre for Education, JSC “Latvijas Finieris”, the association “Zaļās mājas”, the association “Latvijas koks”, as well as the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry. Also this year, a special award for the best communication in social networks will be awarded. The competition supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.