2019

Latgale Hosts a Forest Exploration Event

Educational event “Latvijas Finieris Green Class” took place in Sarkaņkalns in Verēmi Rural Territory Rēzekne Municipality on 12 September, bringing together more than 1200 children from 50 different schools in Latgale region to get acquainted with forest management and woodworking industry in Latvia. The event organized by JSC “Latvijas Finieris” and JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) took place in Sarkaņkalns for the first time.

“It is the first time that such a professional and educational event about the forest sector takes place in Latgale, and it has attracted the attention of young people. Moreover, the opportunity to study outside the classroom, is an effective way of educating and providing young people with the knowledge they need to make independent decisions and conclusions. This is a significant advantage for future forest industry professionals,” says Dainis Rudzītis, Head of LVM Ziemeļlatgale Region Forest Management Planning.

Almost 100 forest professionals from different companies and organizations welcomed students at 29 different information stops throughout the day.

“During the event, I told the young people about the need for forest management. The forest we love and where we like to go for a walk and pick mushrooms does not grow by itself - it is taken care of by foresters. A lot of things were completely new to them and they had a number of interesting questions,” says Dainis Rudzītis standing next to the miniature multi-stage tree in the forest.

Classes attending educational stops participated in educational activities and had an opportunity to obtain practical and interesting information on the forest, trees and habitats, and the sustainable management of these natural values. Those interested could see the forest fire protection and forest management equipment, as well as get acquainted with the wide range of wood products manufactured in Latvia and their use in the world.

“We made a puzzle called “Latvia” at the education station “Forest and Maps” and found out why a part of tree trunk is left when trees are cut. At the station “Wise Forest Management” we learned how to determine the age of a growing pine tree by counting branches, as well as counted the age of cut trees. An exciting masterclass took place at the “Pine” station, where we could enjoy a cone bath and learn to recognize the cones of various trees. However, the most interesting of the stops was called “Forest Fire Protection”. Here we had the opportunity to put on a firefighter's outfit and learn more about the fire protection measures in the forest,” 6^th-grade students of Verēmi Elementary School share their impressions about the event.

One of the teachers who attended the event together with her class was very happy about the good and productive time spent in nature: “The venue of the event allowed us to enjoy the beauty of Latgale from the top of a mountain, and both the old and the young could learn so much about the forest, its inhabitants, what can happen if we are careless, irresponsible, who we can thank, that we breathe, that we live, that there is a whole industry in the country and that there are knowledgeable people who take care of forest so that it will grow and benefit us in the future.”

The programme of the educational event “Latvijas Finieris Green Class” in Sarkaņkalns draws on the experience of similar industry events, which have already gained popularity among students and teachers, as well as families, such as “Forest ABC” in Kurzeme, “Latvian Forest Days” in Tērvete, “Come along, Let’s Go to Forest” in Priekuļi and other events in the regions of Latvia.

“Together with colleagues from LVM, we have created an educational event that focuses specifically on Latgale region, where no similar events had taken place before. This time, children in Latgale did not have to spend half a day on the bus to learn about forest management and woodworking in Latvia. Some came on foot, some came by city bus. I would like to thank all the organizations, companies and people who agreed to participate and made this day so special!” says Jānis Staris, Member of the Council of JSC “Latvijas Finieris”.

Sarkaņkalns is an educational and active recreation site owned by JSC “Latvijas Finieris” in Vērēmi Rural Territory, Rēzekne Municipality, Plikpūrmaļi, less than 10 km from the city of Rēzekne. Since October 2018, Sarkaņkalns is managed by Latvijas Finieris Foundation for Sustainable Development. The Foundation, in cooperation with its partners, engages in forming public opinion on sustainable interaction between people and the environment, as well as rational land use, with the aim of raising people's awareness and knowledge of the opportunities and resources provided by nature, active or passive capital, which is not only the driving force of a single family, household or business, but also underpins the development of the country as a whole.