From August 4 to 8 of this year, the international summer school “Green Stories” took place, during which young people from Daugavpils (Latvia) and Utena (Lithuania) explored Latvian nature and its specific features, carried out experiments, various environmental measurements, observed and analysed the surrounding environment and nature as a whole.

During the summer school, a nature research hike was organised in the nature reserve “Pilskalnes Siguldiņa”, where the participants learned about ravine forests and their characteristic flora. In addition, water analyses were carried out in Daugavpils Stropi lake.

Together with researchers from Daugavpils University, the young people studied the biodiversity of the Daugavpils wetland (“Bog trail”) to promote understanding of nature conservation and to improve their knowledge of protected and invasive plant species. During a night expedition in the Daugavpils Fortress, participants studied historical mollusc species and bat species.

Throughout the international summer school, the young people not only deepened their knowledge in biodiversity and its protection but also learned various environmental research methods and improved their communication and cooperation skills in an international setting.

The international summer school was implemented with the support of the European Regional Development Fund within the framework of the goal “European Territorial Cooperation” (Interreg) of the approved cooperation programme “(Interreg VI-A) Latvia–Lithuania” in Latvia and Lithuania, as part of the project “Society education and raising public awareness on the importance of flora to humanity” (Green Stories), Project No. LL-00188.