News

On April 25, from 10 am to 6 pm, the event “Forest Enters Jelgava” will traditionally take place on the Pasta (Post) Island. Visitors will have the chance to explore Latvia’s forest industry, learn about forest products and how they’re used, discover related professions, and find out about education opportunities in this field. Entry is free.

This year’s theme is “Wonders of the Forest,” highlighting how the forest industry connects to other areas like surveying, geoinformatics, landscape architecture, water management, wood product manufacturing, construction, and national defense.

The event is for visitors of all ages. Together with over 50 companies and organizations, guests will be able to learn through live demonstrations, hands-on workshops, experiments, and games, both educational and fun.

Here’s what you can expect:

• The Nature Conservation Agency will teach about forest ecosystems through interactive games.
• Stiga RM will display forest machinery like forwarders, harvesters, wood chippers, and log trucks, while explaining how to manage forests sustainably.
• Rīgas Meži will offer forest education activities, eco-games, and a chance to build birdhouses.
• A special exhibit on drone systems will help visitors learn how to navigate using topographic maps.
• The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry will show how samples are taken from biomass and how they’re used, while guests can try identifying different tree species and ages.
• The Institute of Land Management and Geodesy will introduce the latest land surveying technologies and invite visitors to try distance-measuring tools themselves.
• Representatives of the National Armed Forces will explain how forests are important for national defense.

For students thinking about their future careers, there will be information about study programs at the Forest and Environmental Sciences Faculty of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), and the many job options in the sector.

The goal of the event is to raise public awareness and educate the public about Latvia’s forests and natural resources, and how they are managed. It also shows how the forest industry contributes to society – from wood and non-wood products to jobs and sustainable development.

“Forest Enters Jelgava” is organized by the LBTU Forest and Environmental Sciences Faculty, in cooperation with Jelgava Municipality, the municipal institution “Kultūra”, as well as forest sector organizations, companies, educational institutions, craftsmen, and individual creators.