Letònia

NATURE PROTECTION: NATURE PROTECTION: SOLUTIONS IN LATVIASOLUTIONS IN LATVIA

A special presentation for School Partnership programme

“Let’s do something for our planet!” made by

Oskara Kalpaka Rudbarzu primary school

Lyons, 2009

Here our pupils go for walking tour to investigate environment solutions at school and some other

places of our Rudbarzi village

The waste get out our school unsorted.

Here you see rubbish bins…

Dump to burn near garden

Try the game!http://www.atkritumi.lv/robis/

Honey wagon

Garbage sorting

Remains of building

This is link to the site what educate to manage wastehttp://www.atkritumi.lv

Landfill

Littering at forests…

Latvia is … alive

Altogether in Latvia there are 684 specially protected natural areas: 1 biosphere reserve, 4 national parks, 4 strict nature reserves, 9 areas of protected landscapes, 42 nature parks, 258 nature reserves , 221 geological and geomorphologic formations with protectable qualities, 89 dendrological planted areas, that makes 12% of the area of Latvia in total. The most of these protected areas are established as Natura 2000 – protection areas of European level.

The small river Skervelis flows at nature reserve 10 km from our school

The biggest stone in Latvia brought by glacier in period when all territory of Latvia

was ice-covered

The biggest cave in Latvia is done by small spring stream into russet sandstone rock

The most famous waterfall in Latvia.

Here the Venta meets the area where hard dolomite rock is

changed to softer sandstone by nature

The circuit of the biggest oak trunk is more than 10 m

The biggest black alder in Latvia has found at Rudbarzi!

Very old lime-tree at Valdemarpils

The circuit of the biggest juniper -tree trunk is 2,8 mTry the link!

http://www.dabasretumi.lv/Eindex.htm

A trail of brown bear in Latvia

In the Latvia (eastern part) live about 10 brown bears (Ursus arctos). But in territory of Latvia's north neighbor Estonia - 600!

The Europe area where brown bear lives

Here is a link to the site “Latvia's nature” if you are interested in species of Latvia's

nature! http://www.latvijasdaba.lv/

Wolves inhabiting Latvia belong to the Baltic population, which totals about 3600 individualswith uneven distribution. In Latvia, wolves are more common in the west, north and east and rarein the central part of the country. The last official census showed about 600 individuals in total.

The conservation objective is to maintain the Latvian wolf population of least 300-500 individuals indefinitely in thefuture ensuring continuous species distribution in Latvia. And to maintain high environmentalcarrying capacity and natural ecological functions of the species in the ecosystem.

In Latvia, lynx are

more common in its northern part. Year

2006 official statistics

showed ca. 900

individuals.

The conservative

objective is to maintain the Latvian lynx population of least 600-650 individuals

indefinitely in the future.

The Black stork (Ciconia nigra) is one of the nature conservation flagship species not only in Latvia but also across its entire range — in Europe, Asia and Africa.

According to thepopulation size evaluation carried out in early 1990-s there were about 900–1000 pairs of the Black stork nesting in Latvia, or approximately 10% of the known global population. The decrease of the nesting population in Latvia since the early 1990-s was about 45% of its initial size.

http://www.putni.lv/ Go to this link to know more about Latvia's birds. On English pages you can found sound page where some birds songs is recorded by I.Folkmanis who live in Rudbarzi

Toads Bombina bombina is protected in Latvia alike some

other amphibious animal species.

.

Tree frog was successfully reintroduced in Latvia near

Rudbarzi.

Wild horses and European bison has settled to reintroduce at some areas

in Latvia

On January, 2009 was opened the biggest biofuel manufacturing complex „Bio-Venta” Ltd in Latvia.

Biofuel is renewable energy resource obtained from rape oil – a worthy alternative for fossil fuel.

The total sum of investments in the building of factory is 85 million euro. The initial power will be 100 000 tons biofuel per year and more than 100 000 tons rape seeds

will be processed each year.

Draft laws define that from January 1, 2011 the deposit system will be

adapted for beverages with reusable and disposable packaging from

glass, plastic and metal in Latvia. Law defines main requirements for deposit system implementation and

adjusting as well as the duty for packagers, merchants and

packaging reception centres to take part in this system. The consumer, who buys the goods in the deposit packaging, pays definite sum of

money – the payment of deposit. By accepting back this packaging from

the consumer the merchant or reception centre refunds the deposit

sum.

The waste site is build according to laws and regulations of EU and Latvia and international experience. By considering the amount of hazardous waste flow in Latvia it is planned that the waste disposal in the site will be 9000 tons per year. Planned activity period for the site is approximately 20 years.

On February, 2009 Latvia opened the first and only hazardous waste disposal site in Zebrene, Dobele region.

Draft laws define that in the forestry works used cutting tools should be oiled with bio oil. The aim is to decrease the soil, over ground and groundwater pollution and flora and fauna degradation created by the use of mineral oil use in forestry works.

By cutting out 10 million cubic meters wood every year the consumption of mineral oil for motor saws in the forests of Latvia is about 2 million litres, creating the environment pollution with mineral oils and used oils which are even more dangerous. The research made in 2006 “Motor saw chain oils impact on environment in forests of Latvia” showed that the mineral oils used in motor saws have negative impact on environment and different species.