2016

A Guidebook for Learning in Nature Has Been Released

Encouraging teachers and their students to spend more time in nature exploring the forest and to master the study material in an unusual way, JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” (LVM) together with the National Centre for Education and Riga Teika Secondary School have released a new guidebook for elementary schools “Learning is in Our Nature”. Draw an inspiration for unusual lessons outdoors!

“We learn the best by using all our body senses – feelings, mind, heart, hands and legs. We encourage everyone to experience this – go into the woods with mind and soul; educate and enjoy the life in Latvia’s state forests,” says Līga Abizāre, the creator of LVM school programs. She points out that the ideas described in the book will be useful for teachers of all subjects.

LVM has been cooperating with Riga Teika Secondary School on environmental education issues since 2008. In 2013, the Memorandum of Cooperation was signed, with an aim to implement and develop environmental education programs for learning outdoors. A joint project was launched in 2012 – a pine forest was planted within the Forest Days. The trees have grown taller, and now students will face a new long-term education challenge. Together with LVM experts they will take regular measurements in their own planted young forest stand (4.4 hectares) in Vēri Forest District and monitor how the future forest is growing. The first measurements have been taken this year already.

“On everyday basis, it is hard to act differently from the usual, especially for the big city schools. But with strong passion and willpower, everything is possible! Math lessons can take place in a schoolyard, more than 200 students together with their parents can plant a forest, it is possible to become a Mammadaba Embassy and inspire others!” says Ilona Bergmane, the Director of the school.

The book – a guide for schools in forest exploration "Learning is in Our Nature" has been issued by the Environmental Protection Fund of Latvia within the framework of the international environmental education programme "Learning about Forests". The programme “Learning about Forests” since 2005 has been implemented in Latvia by JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” in cooperation with the National Centre for Education. Learn more about the programme: www.mammadaba.lv/skolam and www.leaf.global