2017

This Year's Mother Nature Master Class has Come to an End

The beautiful time of lilac bloom is a busy time for school students and teachers. Another school year has come to an end. This is an important time also for the participants of the Mother Nature (Mammadaba) master class organised by JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM).

This year, students from 120 schools had the pleasure to go out in nature, learn, explore and make stylish things out of wood. Today, more than eight thousand students received their recognition diplomas. But those who had accomplished all three Mother Nature master class tasks or masterpieces - an outdoor master class, a wooden craft work and master forest day - also won the special Mother Nature master badges. However, the most important thing is the satisfaction with the work done during the year.

For the third year already, Latvian schools also receive Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) diplomas for their participation in the environmental education programme "Learning about Forests" (LEAF), which is implemented in Latvia by JSC "Latvia's State Forests". This year, 46 schools received the top rating.

Barry McGonigal, LEAF Director, recognised that Latvia was a model for all countries in the world. For each school year it introduces new activities for school students, new materials for teachers, so that they could go out and use nature as their best classroom.

Every year, a Mother Nature embassy is opened in each LVM region. This title in the school year 2016/2017 was awarded to eight schools: Mārupe Secondary School, Laurenči Primary School, Grundzāle Elementary School, Meirāni Kalpaks Elementary School, Jersika Elementary School, Nikrāce Primary School, Jelgava Spīdola Gymnasium and Plaviņas Regional Gymnasium.

These schools together with the 49 other Mother Nature master schools receive special embassy mastery forest trees to symbolically grow a master forest of their own schools. In turn, 55 teachers from Mother Nature master schools will meet in a summer camp - a 36-hour continuing education courses.

When you close one door, a new door opens - the same applies to the Mother Nature embassies - when one flag is lowered, a new must be raised. We are pleased to announce that after evaluation of the works accomplished in the previous school year, the following nine schools in eight LVM forestry regions have been nominated as Mother Nature embassy schools for the next year:

• In Riga - Riga Estonian Primary School
• In Rietumvidzeme (the western part of Vidzeme) - Carnikava Primary School
• In Austrumvidzeme (the eastern part of Vidzeme) - Valka Jānis Cimze Gymnasium
• In Ziemeļlatgale (the northern part of Latgale) - Rēzekne Catholic Secondary School
• In Dienvidlatgale (the southern part of Latgale) - Ezernieki Secondary School
• In Dienvidkurzeme (the southern part of Kurzeme) - Aizpute Secondary School
• In Ziemeļkurzeme (the northern part of Kurzeme) - Ventspils Secondary School No. 4
• In Zemgale - Ozolnieki Secondary School
• In Vidusdaugava - Bauska Elementary School

The Mother Nature master class is a continuous and comprehensive opportunity for schools to bring their learning process closer to nature. It offers teachers and students an opportunity to acquire the environmental education programme "Learning about Forest", which also foresees active recreation in Latvian state forests. Any class can become a Mother Nature master class, and go for an adventure in the nature and receive green awards.