The Green Stories project, which started in spring of 2024, has already reached a quarter of the way. During this period, partners put their efforts to lay solid foundations for the implementation of the largest project activities. Along this path, we also strengthened our partnership. This month a partners meeting took place in Daugavpils, which symbolically coincided with the end of the first period of the project.
The most important goal of the meeting was to share what progress has been achieved on both sides of the border, what were the main challenges, also to find solutions together. It was important to discuss the nearest activities of the project, the scientific conference organized by the University of Daugavpils, as well as the current joint activities – botanical research of rare and historical plants, applied methods, publication of the collected data.
During the project, 4 catalogs of historical and rare plants in the territories of Aukštaitija National, Labanoras Regional and Sileni Nature Parks will be published. Also, botanical data of the rare plants will be included to the national databases, moreover, we will create a new freely available electronic catalog to get to know the historical plants of the project area.
During the meeting, the project colleagues also introduced the target spot of the project activities in Latvia – Daugavpils University Ilgas Research Center, which is one of the most modern research bases in Eastern Europe. Here, not only various research works in natural sciences are actively carried out. Surrounded by nature, the center keep an impressive herbarium, collections of various species, there practices for students of the biology study program, thematic camps, other educational activities take place, where in a natural environment are created conditions for gaining knowledge about Latvian flora and fauna, rare and protected species.
Although the research center was modernized not long ago by installing modern laboratories and an environment adapted to scientific activities, this project is an opportunity for the University to pay more attention to outdoor educational spaces, where an important part of scientific practice and educational activities takes place. The partners plan to install a modern outdoor classroom, as well as an exposition of rare plants, educational hiking trails with the opportunity to get to know Latvia’s biodiversity more closely.
