19 • 08 • 2015
Forests full of berries and mushrooms
Berry hunting is in full swing in Latvian forests: forest raspberries, bilberries, great bilberries, red bilberries, and an occasional group of chanterelles and other mushrooms. Enchanting with its treasures and recreational opportunities, the forest offers to freely remain and go home with a basket full of forest goodies. However, it is useful to know and remember a couple of important prerequisites for pleasant relaxation in the forest.
Latvia is one of the rare European countries, where anyone is allowed to freely move, pick berries, fruits, nuts, and mushroom in state and municipal forests. People are relatively free to pick mushrooms and berries also in the forest-abundant Finland, Norway, and Sweden. In Germany's forests, on the other hand, it is allowed only to move along the footpaths, while in England walking through the forest with a basket of mushrooms is not accepted.
A survey conducted by the public opinion research center SKDS this year indicates that 82 percent of Latvian residents prefer going to the forest to pick mushrooms, berries, as well as to relax there. JSC "Latvian State Forests" (LVM) encourages the residents to visit the forest, observing precautionary measures and order. "Forest is an entity of living creatures. It must be treated with reverence and piety," says LVM's senior forest expert Kaspars Rize.
The expert emphasizes that before going into the forest, one must choose suitable clothing and footwear. Visiting the forest in sandals or summer shoes is not recommended, a more suitable choice would be to wear boots. The lighter the color of clothing, the more ticks it will attract. It is easier to spot ticks on light clothing, while ticks associate light colors with warmth. "One should not fear forest animals. Snakes are very timid creatures. The best way how to avoid them is to make sure the sun is behind your back. Snakes flee when they sense a shadow," says Rize.
The most popular forest activity in Latvia is mushroom hunting. The number of edible mushrooms in Latvia could be close to 500, but people usually use about 20 – 50 mushroom species in their menu. One should pick only those mushrooms that are easily identifiable. The best way is to cut them with a knife instead of ripping them out from the ground. In order to keep the collected mushrooms intact and cool, they should be placed in a basket.
Berry hunters should stay away from highways and other frequently-used roads, as berries store pollution from the passing cars. The number of bilberries this year is rather huge; however, there are a number places in Latvia, where the yield is not as terrific.
People in state forests are allowed to use supplementary aids, or the so-called berry "combine". By collecting berries in this way, the small branches are broken, which, of course, will affect the yield in the coming years. However, for example, collecting great bilberries with a "combine" is not useful, as their maturity rates differ from brush to brush. The immature berries will not ripen, as they will dry up and become useless. Collecting berries with a "combine" is prohibited in protected areas.
Upon entering the forest, one must observe fire safety measures. Furthermore, it is also important to remember to keep the soil and infrastructure intact, without littering and by complying with rules at recreation areas. It is also prohibited to damage bird nests, ant hills, as well as to inflict harm on forest plants and animals.
In order to make the time in forest more pleasant, the company has created more than 350 various recreational places, where berry and mushroom hunters can relax, catch breath, and have lunch. Finding a suitable place is possible at mammadabakarte.lv.
