Representatives of Krka National Park visit Latvian national parks

As part of an Erasmus+ project, fully financed by the European Union, Latvian national parks presented their rich biodiversity and well preserved ecosystems

At the end of September 2024, the third and final study visit was made as part of the Erasmus+ project entitled “Raising ecological awareness among youth from protected areas”. The hosts were two national parks in Latvia: Ķemeru nacionālā parka fonds and Gaujas nacionālā parka fonds. Project partners from Finland and Croatia were acquainted with the exceptional Latvia protected natural values and the activities for young rangers, and the experience will form the basis for a young rangers programme in Croatia.

The first part of the study visit was dedicated to getting to know localities in Gaujas nacionālā parka fonds. The exceptional biodiversity, significant cultural and historical heritage, wealth of forest ecosystems, and impressive sandy cliffs enable the young rangers and their guides to conduct a wide range of programme activities. There is a large, branching system of sandy trails called the Līgatne Nature Trails, which enables visitors and especially the young rangers, to become acquainted with the flora and fauna in the park, without disturbing their habitats.

“Learning about the field activities and educational programmes conducted with the young rangers enables us to better understand the needs and motives for including youth in nature conservation. The experiences from Latvia will serve as a basis for considering the programmes to introduce at Krka National Park, and connecting protected areas through this project has enabled an exchange of experiences and knowledge at the European level,” stated Nella Slavica, director of the Public Institute of Krka National Park. She added, “We invite all young nature lovers to join in the activities in the coming months to create the first groups of young rangers in Šibenik-Knin County.”

Participants toured the picturesque town of Siguld, situated at the end of Latvia’s oldest and largest national park that was named after the Gauja River that passes through it. The town is surrounded by a massive forest that offers countless active outdoor activities. The Gauja River canyon was formed some 300 million years ago, and took on its present-day appearance about 12,000 years ago.

The visit to Kemeru nacionālā parka fonds was particularly inspiring, known for its springs of sulphuric waters that are used in hydrotherapy, and for the wetland habitats that are especially attractive for bird watching in autumn due to the abundance of foliage colours. “In our park, we have examples of perfect ecosystems untouched by humans, a meadow where wild horses and wild cattle roam and live freely. The balanced and vulnerable grassland ecosystem is connected with other ecosystems, and these large natural areas and processes that surpass the national boundaries drawn by human hands,” stated Agnesea Balandiņa, director of Ķemeru nacionālā parka fonds.

At the Meža Māja Visitor Centre, workshops were held on the topic of outdoor activities for children and youth. Ķemeru nacionālā parka fonds is situated near the capital city of Riga, whose city centre has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its distinctive architectural style and culture.

Project activities will be carried out from February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2026. The total value of the project is EUR 60,000.00, which is entirely financed by the European Union. The holder of the project “Raising ecological awareness among young people in protected areas” (2023-3-LV02-KA210-YOU-000170610) is the Ķemeru National Park Fund (Ķemeru nacionālā parka fonds) from Latvia, while the project partners are the Gaujas National Park Fund (Gaujas nacionālā parka fonds) from Latvia, the Kehittämisyhdistys Sepra ry from Finland, and the Krka National Park from Croatia. The goals of the project are to inform young people about climate change, to strengthen the awareness of young people about the need to preserve nature and the environment, as well as the participation and exchange of experience of young people between the ages of thirteen and thirty through common platforms of protected areas in the project’s partner countries, the development of a system of motivation for young people’s participation in environmental protection, and the development of networking and the exchange of ideas.

Project co-financed by the European Union. The content of these materials is exclusively the responsibility of the Public Institute of Krka National Park.