2015

Reporting about litter in forests now possible with an app

Assisted by smart phones, from now on, everyone will be able to get involved in cleaning up the environment and detecting litter in the forest, using the newly-created mobile application "Vides SOS" (Environmental SOS). With the help of this app, the respective services will receive photos of specific locations, descriptions, and the reporter's contact information, as well as precise directions to the location. Pigman, advocate of clean forests of JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM), is grateful for such a modern device aimed at achieving clean environment and forests.

"The amount of garbage in forests is not declining. Now, people can stop looking at their forests being overgrown with waste, and get involved in cleaning the environment. Take pictures, mark off, and do a good deed – if it is not a huge pile of waste, go ahead and take care of what does not belong in the nature. In case of huge waste piles – report! By acting like this every day, we will make Latvia a more beautiful place and the forests cleaner and more pleasant for walking, as well as safer for both us and forest animals!" says Pigman.

The mobile application allows anyone to attach a photo with a comment, indicating precise GPS coordinates. This will help the State Environmental Service to find the polluted area in the forest or any other environmental violation.

Last year, the service received 1,168 reports about environmental violations. Most often residents complained about litter, unpleasant smell, and water pollution. About one-fourth of these reports are not within competence of the State Environmental Service, but of the Nature Protection Board, State Forest Service, and municipalities. The received Environmental SOS reports will be forwarded to the respective state institutions and municipalities. A plan for the future is to develop closer cooperation with environmental protection services involved in processing these reports.

Pigman's application "The Neverending Forest" teaches children through interactive games that litter has no place in the forest and educates them on how to take care of the environment.