In December 2024, an international scientific conference “Nature and Human: Challenges, Coexistence, and Nature Conservation” was held at Daugavpils University (DU). Experts from Latvia and abroad participated, including representatives from the Daugavpils University Institute of Life Sciences and Technology (DU DZTI), the University of Latvia (LU), the Association “IIC DINO”, Directorate of Aukštaitija National Park and Labanoras Regional Park in Lithuania (ANP, LRP), the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP), and Joint Stock Company “Latvia’s State Forests” (LVM).
The main goal of the conference was to raise public awareness of the importance of nature in human life and to discuss key issues related to nature conservation and its role in the sustainable development of society. Current topics such as the spread of invasive species and their impact on local ecosystems, threats of species extinction and measures to prevent them, as well as plant and animal species monitoring and conservation strategies were addressed.
Experts shared their experiences and research findings, offering solutions to current environmental challenges. Notable presentations were given by several distinguished experts, including:
Pēteris Evarts-Bunders (DU) – “Guidelines for Evaluating Dendrological Objects and Key Conditions for the Preservation of Park Biological and Landscape Values”
Santa Rutkovska (DAP) – “Invasive Species Manager – A Tool for Public Science in the Management of Invasive Species in Latvia”
Liene Auniņa (LU) – “The New Latvian Red List: Results of Vascular Plant Species Extinction Risk Assessment and Its Application in Nature Conservation”
Andrejus Gaidamavičius (ANP and LRP) – “Bat Fauna in the Aukštaitija National Park and Labanoras Regional Park and Its Changes Under Climate Change Conditions”
Maksims Balalaikins (DU) – “Species Occurrence Data in Latvia: From Collection to Results”
Aiva Bojāre (DAP) – “Testing the Effectiveness of Methods for Controlling and Eradicating Invasive Plant Species in the IP LatViaNature Project”
Gaidis Grandāns (LVM) – “Bird Conservation Measures Implemented by Latvia’s State Forests”
Jānis Kotāns (DAP) – “Oak: Revealing the Secrets of Latvia’s Nature”
The conference attracted a wide audience, including nature enthusiasts, students, education and municipal workers, and other interested parties, fostering public education and awareness on nature conservation issues.
The event was organized as a part of the project “Green Stories. Society education and raising public awareness on the importance of flora to humanity” (No. LL-00188) financed under the 2021–2027 Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania Cross-Border Cooperation Programme.
Aditional information: Līga Anna Leitāne, liga.leitane@du.lv