2017

In the UN International Day of Forests Young People Promote Use of Wood

To promote wood as a renewable resource, participants of the LVM Bio-economy School have created video messages for the UN International Day of Forests, which is celebrated worldwide on 21 March. In their video messages, authors connect wood with their daily life, explain its role in today's economy, as well as encourage their peers to think about how to jointly build a more sustainable world, in which forests will have an increasingly growing role.

Ten best video messages, the authors of which compete for a scholarship in the LVM Bio-economy School, have been put forward for public assessment on the Facebook page "Izzini mežu, Latvija!" (Learning about Forest, Latvia). The authors of the video messages proposed for scholarships (in alphabetical order):

1. Amanda Kalneja, Rēzekne Polish State Gymnasium
2. Amanda Kočāne, Rugāji Secondary School
3. Ketija Pujāte, Aizpute Secondary School
4. Laura Jaunākā, Riga Secondary School No. 49
5. Lenora Anna Gorska, Valmiera Pārrgaujas Gymnasium
6. Marta Nikola Zīle, Mārupe Secondary School
7. Reinis Dālbergs, International School of Latvia
8. Šarlote Ševele, Riga State Gymnasium No. 3
9. Uldis Valainis, Vārkava Secondary School
10. Viktorija Rače, Oskars Kalpaks Liepāja Secondary School No. 15

Until 10 April, everyone has an opportunity to vote for their favourite video message by pressing "Like" under the respective video. The final results of the scholarship contest will be published on the website www.lvm.lv/bioekonomika, on 11 April; this website also contains additional information on the LVM Bio-economy school.

Kristaps Ceplis, Head of the society "Zaļās mājas" tells about the objectives of the scholarship competition: "Wood and other biological products have a high potential for increasing the added value of products, replacing fossil fuels in energy production, developing future biological products and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We hope that the scholarship competition on this topic will encourage young people to acquire new knowledge and apply it in practice, thus making this world a better place."

In the first round of the contest called "Create!" participants had an opportunity for creative expression, making posters on the theme "Bio-economy". We received more than 70 works, which were assessed by an experienced jury. Authors of the best 30 works were invited to participate in the second round of the competition "Explore Nature!" and go on an educational forest expedition together with industry experts. "It is so nice to talk to young people who know things and want to learn more. During the expedition, participants had an opportunity to see how trees grow in different conditions. They could learn differences between trees that grow in conditions where there is enough of light, and those growing in darker areas. For example, participants were surprised how tall the trees were in a nine-year old pine-tree stand," says LVM Senior Forest Expert Kaspars Riže after the LVM Bio-economy School expedition. The acquired knowledge and the new impressions were useful in the third round of the competition "Speak!” where participants were asked to create a video message for the UN International Day of Forests, which will have the decisive role for the acquisition of the scholarship.