2017

Sixth-graders are Invited to Joint the Forest Expeditions to Take Place in September

All sixth grade students in Latvia have a healthy opportunity to acquire natural sciences in the forest in the form of a joint adventure - in Latvia's State Forest Expeditions. Already in September, students from Latvia's largest cities will have an opportunity to see with their eyes and try with their hands and feet, what forest management means and what role it has in our daily lives. The Forest Expeditions are organised by JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM) together with the Interdisciplinary Centre for Educational Innovation of the University of Latvia and JSC "Latvijas Finieris" with the aim of raising students' awareness of the importance of forests in Latvia and in the world in mitigating climate change.

The Expeditions are open for applications from 21 August to 28 August electronically on the website www.lvm.lv/ekspedicija. Līga Abizāre, the Head LVM School Programme, tells more about the event: "Before going to the forest, children should acquire one lesson about the forest tending cycle at school so that in accordance with the standard of the natural sciences the students in the Forest Expedition would understand how knowledge acquired in natural sciences can be used in the everyday life. In nature, children will have to perform a variety of practical and creative tasks, for example, choose which trees to cut, and which to leave. We hope that the event will give children a deeper understanding of how to grow even greater forests for our future generations."

The first Forest Expeditions in Latvia's state forests took place last school year when the methodology of the event was approbated, involving more than 3000 school students. The different Forest Expedition routes are planned in a length of around two kilometres, and they include a variety of educational stops. Students, going from one stop to another, will perform practical tasks in the forest, supplementing their knowledge and exploring in the real life the things that they have read in books or have been told about by their teachers. The expeditions are led by employees of JSC "Latvijas Finieris" and LVM whose daily work in many ways is related to the forest: planners, foresters, forest infrastructure specialists, lawyers, regional managers and other specialists. As admitted by the employees, it is a great opportunity for school students to discover the complex processes taking place in the forest.

IN SEPTEMBER 2017, EXPEDITIONS WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE VICINITY OF THE LARGEST CITIES OF LATVIA.

APPLY FOR THE FOREST EXPEDITIONS HERE.

12 September  Alūksne, Gulbene, Smiltene (Velēna)

13 September  Rēzekne (Zabolotje)

14 September  Daugavpils (Kalupe)

15 September  Valmiera, Cēsis (Vijciems)

18 September  Dobele, Jelgava (Tērvete)

19 September  Madona, Jēkabpils, Pļaviņas (Kalsnava)

20 September  Ventspils (Puze)

21 September  Liepāja (Kalvene)

26 September  Rīga (Tome)

27 September  Rīga (Olaine)

28 September  Rīga (Ropaži)

The number of places is limited. Preference will be given to those who apply first. During the rest of the school year, Latvia's State Forests Expeditions for sixth-graders will be organised to three permanent LVM tourist attraction facilities, previously individually coordinating the Expedition time at the information centres of these facilities:

Latvia's State Forests Nature Park in Tērvete;

LVM Kalsnava Arboretum;

LVM Vijciems Cone Drying Facility.

For more information visit www.lvm.lv/ekspedicija.