Raised Bog Day in Western Latvia

On October 19, 2007 Raised Bog Day was organised devoted to the 2 project sites located in western Latvia – Stikli Mires and Klāņi Mire Nature Reserves. The Raised bog Day was organised by Latvian Fund for Nature in the frame of the project “Implementation of Mire Habitat Management Plan for Latvia”. Stikli Mires are the largest raised bog Complex in Western Latvia.

Excursion of the Raised Bog Day took the participants to the nature trail in Vasenieki Mires from Stikli Mires Nature Reserve built in the frame of the LIFE projects.

The Raised Bog Day started in Ventspils Museum with the opening of the photo exhibition   “Let’s get acquainted with Latvian mires”. 

There was a great interest about the Raised Bog Day. May teachers from the Ventspils and Talsi regional schools took part to get to know about this interesting habitat – active raised bog that is a protected habitat on a European level. The teachers have come to see the nature trail and the raised bog habitats in Vasenieki Mire to be able to take later there schoolchildren and other people interested in mires.

The Raised Bog Day was opened with the address of the Inguna Pļaviņa, the director of Ventspils Regional Environmental Board who acknowledged that it is very important to tell about mires already to children, stimulating to practical activities in the mires.  Mara Pakalne, the LIFE project manager introduced with the geological history and raised bog habitats, mire conservation and management actions in Vasenieki and Klāņi Mires, entomologist Voldemārs Spuņģis told about raised bog invertebrates and Aivars Petriņš introduced with the bird fauna of raised bogs.

The walk along the newly established nature trail was very exciting as the participants had to not only enjoy the interesting walk along the nature trail but also had to fill-in a sheet about the observations in the mire plants, animals and habitats.

Representatives from schools could get the educational materials elaborated by the LIFE project experts. The materials include a Field Guide “Let’s get acquainted with Latvian mires”, materials about mire types, their origin and plant and animal species as well as project informative booklets. Field Guide got every participant of the Raised Bog Day to be able to guide excursions and tell about the mire species and habitats and invite other interested people to the nature trail in Vasenieki Mire.     

More wider information about the EC LIFE project “Mires” read here

Valda Baroniņa
EC LIFE project "Mires" information coordinator

Māra Pakalne
 Project manager

27.10.2007.