EC LIFE - Nature project activities in 2008

The EC LIFE project “Implementation of Mire Habitat management Plan for Latvia” has been successfully completed in December 1, 2008 by realising all the 24 planned actions from which most were devoted to raised bog and fen conservation and management.

The mire reseearchers

The most important result in 2008 was the publishing of Mire Guidelines “Mire Conservation and Management in Especially Protected Nature Areas of Latvia”. It includes all the information on habitats and species collected during the elaboration of the Management plans for the project sites – Cena Mire, Stikli Mires, Klāņi Mire and Veseta Floodplain Mire as well as knowledge and experience obtained during the management and monitoring of active raised bog and fen habitats. The book includes 31 articles written by 16 experts from various fields. Still, the main value of the book is guidelines and recommendations on the raised bog habitat restoration in the project sites.

Participants of international seminar

In 2008, from June 30 - July 4 an International seminar “Raised Bog Conservation and Management” was organised where participants from Lithuania, Latvia, Check Republic, France and Russia participated.  Seminar programme included paper and poster presentations by experts from Teiči, Lubāna and Ķemeri LIFE projects. Also the other mire experts from shared their knowledge on mire conservation and management. Seminar included also field excursions to Cena Mire and Stikli Mire where the EC LIFE project “Mires” experts introduced with the project results after stopping raised bog desiccation by building 351 larger or smaller dams on the drainage ditches.

In 2008 a documentary film “Life in the Mire” was completed made by “Documentary Film and Photo Association ELM MEDIA. It is a movie about the main project actions and nature values, habitats and species of EU importance in the project sites. The film gives an overview about the elaboration of management plans, raised bog restoration and monitoring, building of the nature trails and a watching tower and seminars.

Vasenieki mire

By the end of the project 3 Final seminars were organised devoted to the project sites in 3 areas of Latvia. In the seminars information about the main project results was given by the project experts as well as project film “Life in the Mire” shown. All the seminars ended with an excursion to the project sites. During the seminar interviews were given to Latvian Radio, TV and newspapers. The Photo exhibition “Let’s get acquainted with Latvian Mires” was exhibited in Jaunkalsnava Municipality.

Cena mire

Dr. biol. Māra Pakalne

Project manager

EC LIFE project “Mires”