2020
02 • 03 • 2020
Participants of the LVM Bio-economy School Competition Explore the Forest Management Cycle
Although this February surprises us with unusually warm weather, this does not prevent young people from all around Latvia to go to exploratory forest expeditions together with our experts to draw inspiration for creative and exploratory video messages for the last stage of the LVM Bio-economy School scholarship competition.
Participants of this year’s scholarship competition stand out with their knowledge, activity and a great sense of responsibility. In the first stage of the competition, the participants made informative posters about bio-economy, where they reflected the theme of this year’s competition “Young Stand”. After thorough evaluation of the works, the jury panel decided to organize two forest expedition events in the second stage that would allow more young people to get new knowledge and understanding about the forest industry and processes taking place in the forest. School students from Ventspils who had created innovative and top quality posters for the scholarship competition, went to the forest expedition on 20 February, while students from other parts of Latvia went to the forest to get inspiration for their next competition works a day later, on 21 February.
LVM Bio-economy School Forest Expedition, 20 February
“We worked hand in hand with the young people in the forest, for example, we made measurement of the transverse section and calculation of the growing stock in a particular forest area, where thinning took place. Moreover, we learnt about the aim and benefits of tending in the context of climate change; we also looked at the forest machine – a harvester – that was used to prepare timber assortment. After young stand tending, we performed stocktaking of the remaining trees and evaluated the quality of the work done. The students got an understanding of the meaning of young stand tending and prerequisites for a productive forest stand that plays a significant role in the context of climate change. In turn, in an area where renewal felling was performed, the students had a task to estimate the potential of land use and timber products to be prepared. Then it was time to go to the place, where future forests are born – to a nursery – to get to know alternative seedling protection means and seedling types. In the end, at the sawmill of LLC “Kurekss”, we explored further processing of wood products. In this forest expedition, we could acquaint ourselves with the full cycle of forest management: starting from a seed, which is followed by seedling and its protection, tending of the young forest stands and growing stock, wood harvesting and further processing,” tells Andris Verners, LVM Ziemeļkurzeme Region Forest Management Planning Manager, who went to the forest expedition together with the students from Ventspils.
LVM Bio-economy School Forest Expedition, 21 February
On the expedition that took place on 21 February, the participants got to know the cycle of forest management together with experts of LCC “Rīgas meži”. At the beginning of the day, the students together with Māris Druvaskalns, head of the nursery “Norupe” went to one of the plantations of pine tree seeds to explore the way that a seed makes from a tree to a nursery. During the meeting, the participants got answers to a number of different questions, for example, why seed trees have such a specific shape, how many seeds are obtained during one harvest, how much one kilogram of seeds costs and other questions.
Later in the day, the secondary school students along with the experienced forest experts headed to the forest to find out, how seedlings get to the forest and to learn about the forest management cycle in practice. The participants found out how many new seedlings are planted per one hectare, how many of them there must be for a forest to be considered restored and performed other exciting tasks. Afterwards, the students went to the “Norupe” sawmill, where they could observe what happens to timber once it gets to sawmill.
It is important not only to get acquainted with the processes that take place in the forest, but also to understand their influence on the daily life of people and the economy as a whole. Together with Kristaps Ceplis, Board Member of the society “Zaļās mājas” and Pauls Beķeris, JSC “Latvijas Finieris” Public Relations Manager, the forest expedition participants discussed advantages of timber use in construction and in everyday products, as well as found out how the forest industry affects country`s economy.
A student of Valmiera State Gymnasium Daniels Markuss Daņilovs is a determined young man, who is participating in the LVM Bio-economy School scholarship competition for the second time already. “For the first time, I participated in the scholarship competition when it took place for the very first time and I got the second place in the finals. The experience gained in the competition and support helped me to start my own business, which I am currently combining with my studies in the 12th grade. I am happy that there are so many participants and such an interesting topic this year - to show the influence of young stands on bio-economy. I am fully determined to win this year!”
Edgars Aleksejevs, a student at Ogre State Technical College, made independent calculations before going to the expedition and shared his impressions: “It is strange that people resist young stands so much! Calculations clearly show that a young stand produces more oxygen than a mature or overgrown stand. Young stands are the foundation of future forests, and they also help to combat climate change, which is such a hot topic today.”
The LVM Bio-economy School scholarship competition for secondary school students is organized by JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” in cooperation with the association “Zaļās mājas”, JSC “Latvijas Finieris”, LLC “Rīgas meži” and the National Centre for Education to raise public awareness of the growing role of forest resources in addressing environmental problems. In the three rounds of the competition, participants get to know, explore in nature and solve issues related to innovative bio-economy.
The initial task of the students was to create an attractive and topical poster on the theme proposed by the jury. The authors of the best works, who not only successfully present the essence of bio-economy in their works, but can also link it to their everyday life, are invited to participate in the second round of the competition. During the expedition together with industry experts, the participants find answers to the questions they are interested in and get acquainted with sustainable forest management in nature. The inspiration and new knowledge gained during the expedition are useful for the participants in the third round of the competition, where they have to make a minute-long video message about bio-economy, its role in everyday life and in the future.
